Defending champion Taylor Fritz was given a serious examination in his opening match at the Boss Open on Thursday, surviving 6-7(4), 7-5, 7-6(3) against Spain’s Martin Landaluce to reach the quarterfinals — and collecting his 350th career tour-level victory in the process.
The escape. The second-seeded American stood two points from defeat in the second set before reeling off three straight games to stay alive, then held firm in a deciding tiebreak. Fritz finished with a commanding 25-14 edge in aces, leaning on the serve that carried him to last year’s title at the Weissenhof. The grass-court credentials remain intact, but the margin was a warning shot three weeks out from Wimbledon.
The upset. The day’s biggest story belonged to Japanese qualifier Sho Shimabukuro, who ended Nick Kyrgios’ return run 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in 1 hour 52 minutes to reach the first ATP quarterfinal of his career. Kyrgios, who had beaten Corentin Moutet on Tuesday for his first tour-level win since March 2025, controlled the opening set before the 28-year-old world No. 104 turned the match with disciplined ball-striking — 13 winners against just six unforced errors in the decider, where he won every first-serve point. For Kyrgios, the week still counts as progress on his favorite surface, but the Wimbledon tune-up is over after two matches.
The rest. Sixth seed Frances Tiafoe struck 22 winners in a tidy 6-4, 6-4 win over Rinky Hijikata, while fourth seed Jiri Lehecka outlasted James Duckworth 6-7(8), 6-4, 7-6(3), setting up a Lehecka–Tiafoe quarterfinal. Top seed Ben Shelton’s match against Marcos Giron was interrupted later in the day; the winner meets Shimabukuro, with Alexander Bublik facing Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Fritz drawing Mattia Bellucci in the bottom half.
Friday’s quarterfinals will sharpen the picture of who arrives at Wimbledon in form — and whether Shimabukuro’s grass-court summer, already five wins deep before this week, has another chapter in it.
