Delray Beach’s Taylor Fritz and Florida’s Tommy Paul will be Friday night’s marquee act under the lights. Fellow Americans Student Tien and Frances Tiafoe will also be part of the blockbuster schedule.
(1) Taylor Fritz vs. (5) Tommy Paul
If the pattern holds from their previous meetings, it’s Tommy Paul’s turn to beat Taylor Fritz. The two friends and Davis Cup teammates have five previous main tour meetings; Fritz won the first, third, and fifth, and Paul pocketed the second and fourth. Paul, ranked 24th in the world, is playing almost literally in his own backyard. The American lives in a town not far from Delray Beach in Boca Raton and was feeling himself on the court against second round opponent Adam Walton on Thursday night.
Fritz has a lot of injuries to deal with. That didn’t stop him from earning the highest server rating on the ATP Tour (he just edged out Jannik Sinner for that honor). Indeed, he has been very good this week – but he has played a lot of tennis of late and has not looked as sharp as Paul so far.
Cheryl choose: Paul out of 3
Ricky pick: Paul at 3
(4) Student Tien vs. (8) Frances Tiafoe
Relative newcomer Learner Tien entered the 2026 season as the newly crowned NextGen ATP Finals champion. Past students include Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas, so the tournament has been a showcase for his future – and he’s been eyeing every star named after his early success. The American, who played one semester at USC before turning pro in 2023, made an impressive run to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open last month. And based on current form, he has a good chance of advancing to at least the semifinals this week.
Opponent Frances Tiafoe has been on a tear for a while, although she finished strong in her second-round match on Thursday against Zachary Svajda. Tiafoe is ranked 28th in the world, thanks 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 always make him a favorite, but Tiafoe’s style of tennis relies on hitting hard from the baseline. I don’t think he’s playing consistently enough to knock Tien out.
Choose Cheryl: Tien at 2
Ricky pick: Tien in 3
