STUTTGART/STARNBERG, June 11, 2026
Defending champion Taylor Fritz was pushed to the limit before booking his place in the quarterfinals of the €768,220 BOSS Open in Stuttgart on Thursday.
The 28-year-old US-American, who is also a BOSS brand ambassador, overcame Spanish rising star Martin Landaluce in a gripping three-set battle, prevailing 6-7(4), 7-5, 7-6(3) after two hours and 31 minutes on Centre Court. Fritz showed great resilience after dropping the opening set, gradually raising his level to secure victory and keep his title defence alive.
A hard fought win 😤💪
Defending champ Fritz overcomes Landaluce 6-7 7-5 7-6 to record his first win since Miami!@boss__open | #BOSSOpen pic.twitter.com/HS3LRFX6Hx
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 11, 2026
“There was definitely some relief after the match,” Fritz admitted. “I had a few problems at the beginning, but I improved with every set. By the end, I was really enjoying myself out there.”
The victory carried additional significance for the world No. 9, marking his 350th ATP Tour match win. Fritz became the first active US-American player to reach the milestone.
“I didn’t even know that,” he said with a smile. “But 350 is cool. I’d love to get to 500 wins one day—that’s a nice goal.”
Fritz will now face Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 event. Bellucci has enjoyed an impressive week in Stuttgart, following up his opening-round victory over seventh seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina with a win against Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.
“Sometimes you need to play your way into a tournament,” Fritz said. “The level I showed at the end of today’s match gives me a lot of confidence for the next round.”
Another former Stuttgart champion also progressed on Thursday. Frances Tiafoe, who lifted the trophy in 2023, defeated Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 6-4, 6-4 in just 80 minutes.
“It was a good match,” Tiafoe said afterwards. “I’m getting more comfortable on grass every day. I don’t want to peak too early—that’s something I’m saving for Wimbledon—but I already feel good on this surface and it’s great to get another match under my belt.”
The US-American will next meet Czech Jiri Lehecka. Lehecka, currently ranked No. 12 in the world, survived a hard-fought contest against Australia’s James Duckworth, coming from a set down to win 6-7(8), 6-4, 7-6(3).
Nick Kyrgios, meanwhile, saw his singles campaign come to an end in dramatic fashion. The Australian entertainer won the opening set against Japanese qualifier Sho Shimabukuro but was unable to close out the match, eventually falling 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
Kyrgios did enjoy success in doubles, however. Teaming up with Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, he advanced to the quarterfinals thanks to a 6-3, 2-6, 10-6 victory over Switzerland’s Jakub Paul and Ryan Seggerman from the United States.
Elsewhere, top seed Ben Shelton’s clash with fellow US-American Marcos Giron remains unfinished. The match was suspended shortly before 9:00 p.m. local time due to darkness, with Giron leading 7-6(4), 4-4. Play will resume on Friday to complete the quarterfinal lineup.
