Taylor Fritz needs seven match points, and three long sets, to beat Matteo Berrettini in Miami quarterfinals

For the first 90 minutes, or thereabouts, of Taylor Fritz's quarterfinal match against Matteo Berrettini at the Miami Open on Thursday night, it looked as thought the U.S. No. 1 was going to have an uncomplicated path through to a much sought-after semifinal berth at Hard Rock Stadium.

More than an hour later, Frtiz's route to his first-ever Miami semifinal got a lot more scenic, even if there was no change to his final destination.

More than 70 minutes passed between Fritz's first six match points, and the one he finally converted in a 7-5, 6-7(7), 7-5 affair that lasted two hours and 44 minutes, his fifth win in five matches against Berrettini. Fritz had three consecutive match points leading 6-3 in the second-set tiebreak, after earlier having two on Berrettini's serve when returning ahead 6-5.

But the Italian saved them all, with some big forehands off the ground combining with a few missed opportunities by Fritz to make Berrettini pay off of second serves.

It was the type of missed opportunity, the American confessed, that would've kept him up into the wee hours of Friday morning had the result gone differently.

But nonetheless, the 2024 US Open finalist stayed composed and positive, and booked a spot in his sixth career Masters 1000 semifinal by winning the last three games.

"It was tough. I kept trying to tell myself that he played well and that it's not as much on me, so I tried not to get frustrated," Fritz said afterwards. "He raised his level a lot, and there are two options: get frustrated and lose, and be even more frustrated at all the chances I blew, or regroup and get the win.

"Now I can sleep tonight, and not be so mad at the chances I blew."

For a spot in the final, Fritz will face 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik, who will be competing in his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal.