Mighty Quinn cooks up huge win in front of home crowd

By Harvey Fialkov / Staff writer

MIAMI GARDENS – Ethan Quinn fashions himself as a master chef, whipping up a spaghetti bolognese at his home in Boca Raton.

On Friday afternoon on Stadium Court in Hard Rock Stadium, the 22-year-old American certainly had the recipe for success in a 6-4, 7-6 (7) victory over former No. 2 Casper Ruud of Norway for his second win over a Top 20 player.

On Thursday, Quinn dished out a delicious 6-2, 6-4 victory over Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, the 2021 Miami Open champion and former Top 10 player. Quinn’s ranking has soared from No. 202 15 months ago to No. 56; it is expected to continue its upward climb.

Rather than master chef, Quinn has his sights on Masters championships.

Quinn is 7-0 since losing his first-round match at Indian Wells to Reilly Opelka. The former University of Georgia NCAA singles champion jetted to the Phoenix Challenger and ripped off five consecutive wins for the title.

Against Ruud, winner of 14 ATP titles including the 2025 Madrid Masters, Quinn had to stave off seven set points in the second set and trailed 1-4 in the tiebreak. Ruud seemed to have the set won when his shot teetered on the net but danced back on his side. Ruud stuck his thumb in his mouth in frustration.

“It was stressful, stressful times,’’ said Quinn, who reached the third round of a Masters 1000 for the first time. “I think the last few matches I’ve played, I think I’ve now won six or seven breakers in a row. So, it’s just that confidence in those breakers knowing that my stuff is good enough. Serving a really high percentage, making a lot of first serves that are winning free points, makes it a lot easier, that’s for sure. I can play a little bit looser on my return points, be able to go for a bigger shot. I think that just worked out for me today. I played bold…  and I earned it.”

The 6-foot-3 Quinn won 15 of 22 net points and had 38 winners to just 24 errors. Ruud was 0 for 6 on break points and was unable to figure out Quinn’s serve all match. The Californian has been a full-time Floridian since 2013, and enjoyed the fans’ support.

“It was amazing,’’ he said. “I’ve only played in Miami once before. I played qualies last year. I played on the outer courts all three matches last year, and it was a lot hotter last year as well. So, there’s different variables that maybe made it where there weren’t quite as many fans. So, having this many fans out there supporting me, being American, playing in Florida, living in Boca Raton, so it was nice having the whole community out there and supporting me.”

Americans excelling

Leading the 16-player American contingent into the men’s third round is sixth seed Taylor Fritz, another Miami resident who reached the semis here last year.

That sets up an all-American matchup with Reilly Opelka, who cracked 25 aces to edge Great Britain’s Jack Draper, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0) on Friday. Opelka, known for his 135-mph serve, showed off blistering groundstroke winners (47) to just 15 by Draper.

Tommy Paul needed three sets to dispose of quirky Frenchman Adrian Mannarino for his 13^th match win this year, one more than Frances Tiafoe for the American lead.

Dangerous Italian floater Matteo Berrettini, reverting to his form of 2022 when he was ranked No. 6, disposed of 10^th seed Alexander Bublik, 6-4, 6-4 for his first Top 20 win in nearly a year.

Another dangerous unseeded star trying to regain his elite form is Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas. He took a huge step forward in sending sixth-seeded Aussie Alex de Minaur packing in a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win on Friday. Tsitsipas is now 12-1 against de Minaur.

American teen Darwin Blanch, a Ben Shelton lookalike, couldn’t follow up his first ATP Masters win, falling to powerful Frenchman Arthur Fils, 6-2, 6-3 on Friday.

THIS AND THAT

*The Miami Open set a session record on Friday as 17,391 came out to enjoy the evening blockbuster match between Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonseca.

* Golf great Rory McElroy was watching Coco Gauff’s match. “I do know who he is but that’s cool,’’ giggled Gauff. “Jack Nicklaus, is he a golfer, too?”

*Taylor Fritz improved to 15-0 in opening rounds since losing to Corentin Moutet at Queens Club last June. He’s 17-1 against players ranked outside the Top 50 since the US Open.

*Fritz, a semifinalist here last year, entered the tournament leading the ATP Tour with 286 aces, ahead of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Reilly Opelka and Jakub Mensik.

*Elena Rybakina, a two-time finalist in Miami, leads the WTA with 148 aces and 559 winners.

*The last time an American woman defeated the world No. 1 at the Miami Open was when Venus Williams defeated Angie Kerber in the 2017 quarterfinals.

*Coco Gauff has won 11 WTA titles with nine coming on a hard court. She’s also proven on clay with her French Open title last summer.

*The Elena Rybakina vs Yulia Putintseva match on Friday marked the first time two players representing Kazakhstan played each other in Miami Open history.

*Jessica Pegula, whose family owns the Buffalo Bills, is right at home in Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins. Since the tournament moved from Key Biscayne to Hard Rock, Pegula has won 18 matches, the most of any player. That includes last year’s final berth and two semis, in 2022 and 2023.

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About the Miami Open presented by Itaú

The 2026 Miami Open presented by Itaú will be played March 15 – March 29 at Hard Rock Stadium. The 15-day event is owned and operated by MARI and Hard Rock Stadium. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a WTA 1000 event on the WTA calendar, and annually hosts the world’s best players, with recent champions including the top players in each tour’s rankings – Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. In 2025, the tournament attracted more than 400,000 spectators over its 15 days at Hard Rock Stadium. Widely regarded as the most glamorous stop on the ATP and WTA calendars, the Miami Open is defined by the city’s vibrant culture, nightlife, five-star dining and hospitality, iconic beaches, and celebrity appeal, along with its close proximity to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

About Itaú Unibanco

The largest bank in Latin America, Itaú Unibanco operates in 18 countries and serves more than 70 million customers, including individuals and companies across a wide range of segments. With the purpose of strengthening financial well-being, the bank supports customers at different stages of life by offering solutions tailored to their needs, as well as innovation and information that encourage more conscious decision-making and a healthier relationship with money.

In sports, Itaú has maintained a consistent presence in tennis for 50 years, supporting the development of the sport in Brazil and worldwide across multiple fronts — from talent development to the sponsorship of major international events — as part of its strategy to strengthen customer relationships, build brand relevance, and broaden access to sport.

About MARI 

MARI is a global events and experiences company with a portfolio of some of the world’s most influential live properties across sport, art, lifestyle, and entertainment. From international tennis tournaments such as the Mutua Madrid Open and the Miami Open presented by Itaú to Frieze, a leading voice in contemporary art, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, TodayTix Group’s leadership in digital ticketing, and Barrett-Jackson’s leading collector car auctions, MARI’s portfolio reflects a shared ambition: to deliver live experiences that bring people together, inspire audiences and shape culture worldwide.

About Hard Rock Stadium

Hard Rock Stadium is a global entertainment destination and curator of world-class events. The best-in-class venue is home to the Miami Dolphins, University of Miami Hurricanes football team, the Capital One Orange Bowl, Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, Miami Open presented by Itaú, major concerts, the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship Game and FIFA World Cup 2026™. Due to its overall sustainability efforts, the multifunctional venue holds Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification and FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation rating. For more information, visit hardrockstadium.com.