Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda are looking for fresh starts to their seasons in Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys once called themselves—erroneously, from this Philadelphia fan’s perspective—America’s Team. The Dallas Open, though, may have a legitimate claim to the title “America’s Tournament.” Seventeen of the 32 players who started the week there were from the United States, including the top two seeds, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton.

But the home court advantage hasn’t helped. As we head into Friday’s quarterfinals, only three U.S. players remain—Fritz, Shelton, and Sebastian Korda. Here’s a look ahead at those four matches, with a special emphasis on the all-American showdown, which features two guys looking for a fresh start to their seasons.

Taylor Fritz vs. Sebastian Korda

👉 Stream live on the Tennis Channel app, 2:30 p.m. ET

Injuries are the bane of every athlete—as well as anyone who tries to write about them.

That’s because physical ailments don’t leave you with much to write about. When players are hurt, there’s no way to praise, criticize, or even analyze their shotmaking or decision making, mental strength or technical skill. The best you can do is wonder whether they need to fire their physio.

All of which means it’s hard to know what to make of Taylor Fritz’s 2026 so far. Right out of the gate in Australia, the top-ranked American man had issues with tendinitis in his right knee. And those issues have continued to nag him at inopportune moments. His knee flared up in his defeat to Lorenzo Musetti in Melbourne, and again in his close first-round win over Marcos Giron in Dallas earlier this week.

But he says he can play through it, and he’s happy with how his game has held up in Dallas so far. Fritz was stunned by how well he returned serve against Giron, and he was in a much better hitting groove overall in his 6-3, 6-4 win over Brandon Nakashima on Wednesday.

“Coming off the match from the other night, I got a lot of rhythm,” Fritz said. “I had a bit more time, I felt like I could really attack more…I felt like I was hitting the ball great.”

Fritz’s reward for beating two of his countrymen will be a contest with a third, Sebastian Korda.

Korda is no stranger to injury woes. In fact, his long string of physical issues has made his entire career difficult to assess. Last year he was out for four months with a stress fracture to his right shin; then, in his first match back at the US Open, he was forced to retire with back and hip pain. By the end of 2025, the 25-year-old was under no illusions about what his latest comeback was going to look like.

“It’s about starting up the machine again and trying to win some ugly matches,” Korda told Bolavip in October.

Is the engine finally starting to turn over? He began the year, as he predicted, in fairly ugly fashion, losing his openers in Adelaide and at the Australian Open. Since then, though, he has won five matches to reach the final of a Challenger in San Diego, and he knocked out Frances Tiafoe 7-5, 6-1 in a little over an hour on Wednesday in Dallas. Korda dropped just four points on his first serve.

Fritz leads Korda 3-1 in their head-to-head, but they’re 1-1 on hard courts. Based on current rankings, Fritz at No. 7 should be a strong favorite over Korda at No. 53. If Fritz’s knee holds up and he continues to see the ball as well as did against Nakahsima, his big serve and forehand will be difficult for the slightly less powerful Korda to counter.

The one thing Korda may have going for him is motivation. This feels like an important moment for him. Fritz, barring any more serious knee problems, can be confident that he’ll be in the mix at the Masters 1000s in Indian Wells and Miami next month. Korda needs to get his wins, his momentum, and his confidence anywhere he can, whether it’s a Challenger in San Diego, or a 500 in Dallas. Winner: Fritz

Marin Cilic vs. Jack Pinnington Jones

👉 Stream live on the Tennis Channel app, 1 p.m. ET

The veteran vs. the newcomer, the tall versus the not so tall. Cilic is 37, Pinnington Jones, a Brit who has spent most of his time playing ITF and Challenger events, is 22. Cilic is the much more accomplished player, and has a good win over Learner Tien this week. But the 5’11, 181st-ranked Pinnington Jones is on a roll, having won two qualifying and two main-draw matches in Dallas. Will he be weary, or will he keep rolling on Friday? Winner: Cilic

Ben Shelton vs. Miomir Kecmanovic

👉 Stream live on the Tennis Channel app, 8 p.m. ET

These two shouldn’t need much time to get warmed up on Friday evening. Each is coming off a hard-earned three-set win the night before, and each found another gear down the stretch in those matches. Kecmanovic, in particular, took Tommy Paul’s best shot and sent back something better. The American and the Serb have never played, but this has the makings of a highly competitive contest. Kecmanovic was dialed in the final set against Paul. Can Shelton disrupt his groove with his serve and forehand—and some love from the home fans? Winner: Shelton

Denis Shapovalov vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

👉 Stream live on the Tennis Channel app, 9:10 p.m. ET

Shapo hearts Dallas. Last year, the Canadian, unseeded at the time, tore through the top three seeds on his way to a rare title. This year, now seeded seventh, he has recorded two quick wins. The level of his competition will rise when he faces the 14th-ranked Davidovich Fokina, in what should be a wild shot-making ride in the Friday nightcap. They’re 1-1 against each other. I’d go with the higher-ranked Spaniard—anywhere but here. Winner: Shapovalov