All-American teenager battle in Indian Wells goes to Tiafoe

Frances Tiafoe scored his biggest win of his professional career at the expense of a good friend on Thursday afternoon at the BNP Paribas Open. In a showdown between up-and-coming Americans, Tiafoe edged a red-hot Taylor Fritz 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in one hour and 36 minutes. Tiafoe served at 73 percent and fired nine aces while double-faulting only once to set up a meeting with David Goffin.

“Winning a match in Indian Wells is huge,” the Maryland native assured. “To play a friend early, as two wild cards, it was unbelievable. It’s a dream to play on this court. There’s so many great matches played on that court.”

It was a court on which Tiafoe and Fritz warmed up side by side–along with Juan Martin Del Potro–earlier in the day. And it’s not like the two 18-year-olds are not used to being around each other. They rose up through the junior ranks together, with Tiafoe holding a 3-0 series lead over Fritz at that level of competition. But it is Fritz whose pro career has been on a more meteoric rise, as he is up to No. 80 in the world thanks in part to an ATP final appearance (lost to Kei Nishikori in Memphis last month).

It would be fair to say that on this occasion, however, confidence in the head-to-head matchup trumped current form. Using a massive forehand to dictate baseline play and jump on his opponent’s second serves, Tiafoe improved to 4-0 lifetime overall at Fritz’s expense.

In doing so, the world No. 177 won for just the second time in his career at the ATP level. And it came on what is arguably the biggest stage in the sport outside of the four Grand Slams.

“I treated just like a regular match,” the rising American star said. “At the end of the day you just play the ball. Obviously it’s Indian Wells. You’re playing on [one of the biggest courts] in tennis, but you just want to stay in between the lines and go for point to point.”

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