Delray Beach top seed Taylor Fritz and Florida’s Tommy Paul will be the big match under the lights on Friday night. Fellow American Learner Tien and Frances Tiafoe will also be part of a blockbuster program.
(1) Taylor Fritz vs. (5) Tommy Paul
If the pattern from their previous encounters holds, it will be Tommy Paul’s turn to defeat Taylor Fritz. These two friends and Davis Cup teammates have had five previous meetings on the main tour; Fritz won the first, third and fifth, while Paul pocketed the second and fourth. Paul, who is ranked 24th in the world, is almost literally playing in his own backyard. The American lives one town away from Delray Beach in Boca Raton and he really had a blast on the court against second-round opponent Adam Walton on Thursday evening.
Fritz has a number of niggling injuries that he is dealing with. That hasn’t stopped him from securing the highest server rating on the ATP Tour (he just beat Jannik Sinner for that honor). He has served very well indeed this week, but he has played a lot of tennis lately and doesn’t look as sharp as Paul so far.
Cheryl pick: Paul in 3
Ricky pick: Paul in 3
(4) Student Ten vs. (8) Frances Tiafoe
Relative newcomer Learner Tien entered the 2026 season as the newly crowned champion of the NextGen ATP Finals. Its alumni include Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas, so the tournament was a major event for future stardom – and he looked every bit the breakout star hinted at by his early success. The American, who played one semester at USC before turning professional in 2023, impressively reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open last month. And based on current form, he has a decent chance of reaching at least the semi-finals this week.
Opponent Frances Tiafoe has been off the boil for a while, although he finished strong in his second-round match against Zachary Svajda on Thursday. Tiafoe is ranked 28th in the world, due to a poor second half of the 2025 season. I give Tien the edge on this one. He plays smart, tactical tennis, which doesn’t necessarily always make him the favorite, but Tiafoe’s tennis style relies on heavy hitting from the baseline. I just don’t think he’s playing consistently enough to throw Tien off balance.
Cheryl’s pick: Ten in 2
Ricky choice: Ten in 3
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