World no. 4 Taylor Fritz is through to the quarter-final at the ATP 250 event in Delray Beach. The two-time defending champion faced Yunchaokete Bu in the second round and won 7-6, 6-2 in an hour and 37 minutes, extending his winning streak at this tournament.
The American missed three set points on the return in the closing stages of the opening set. He kept his composure and grabbed it in the tie break before breaking the rival’s resistance in set number two. Taylor scored two breaks and moved over the top.
The top seed blasted 32 service winners and finished the duel on a 41-21 ratio. The Chinese fought well in the opener but could not follow that pace, finishing with 18 winners and 21 mistakes.
Quarter-Finals Bound 🔜
Taylor Fritz keeps his Delray Beach run going with a 7-6 6-2 win over Yunchaokete Bu 💪#DBOpen pic.twitter.com/fI0GOWcxXz
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 14, 2025
Taylor dropped 12 points in ten service games. He denied the only break point and kept the pressure on the other side. Bu saved five of seven break points, suffering two breaks in the second part of the duel and ending his campaign in the second round.
Fritz wasted the advantage in the fifth game of the opener and experienced a break point after a forced error. Yunchaokete missed his chance, and world no. 4 closed the game to remain on the positive side. Bu closed the eighth game after two deuces.
The defending champion landed a backhand winner in the ninth game for 5-4 and made a push on the return in the next one. The Chinese missed a forehand and faced two set points. The American missed a routine forehand on the second, allowing his rival to survive.
The lower-ranked player saved another set point on serve at 5-6 and held to introduce a tie break. Yunchaokete missed a forehand in the third point and fell behind. Fritz landed a service winner in the fifth point for 4-1 and won two more points on serve for 6-3 and three set points.
The home star clinched his second mini-break at 6-4 after the rival’s wayward forehand, opening a 7-6 advantage in an hour and three minutes. Carried by this boost, Taylor barely lost a point on serve in the second set, mounting the pressure on the other side.
He broke in the first game with a crafty volley winner and provided two fine holds for 3-1. The top seed grabbed another break in the fifth game and extended his advantage. World no. 4 held at love for 5-1 and served for the win at 5-2.
Fritz produced another perfect hold with a service winner, moving over the top and reaching the last eight.