By The Numbers: Miami Final Four
MIAMI, FL, USA – How many minutes has Svetlana Kuznetsova spent on court? Who has hit the most aces? And just how impressive has Angelique Kerber’s returning been? These are just a few of the questions answered in a Miami Open semifinal edition of wtatennis.com’s By The Numbers.
20,000,000 – Should Svetlana Kuznetsova reach the final she will pass $20million in career prize money.
575 – Kuznetsova has taken 575 minutes to win her four matches – 128 minutes more than her semifinal opponent, Timea Bacsinszky. Victoria Azarenka and Angelique Kerber have spent 379 and 343 minutes, respectively, on court thus far.
75 – Azarenka’s improved serve has helped her fend off 12 of 16 (75%) break points this fortnight – the best among the four remaining players. In her quarterfinal with Johanna Konta, the Belarusian saved all five break points faced.
51.4 – The percentage of return points Kerber has won in her four matches at Crandon Park. She has also converted a staggering 77.8% of her break point opportunities.
42 – Azarenka has won 42 of her 54 meetings with left-handers on tour. Six of these have come against Kerber. However, her solitary defeat against the German came in arguably their most high-profile meeting, at this year’s Australian Open.
22 – Kuznetsova has struck more aces, 22, than any other player en route to the last four. Kerber, meanwhile, has hit just two.
20 – Victory over Konta took Azarenka’s 2016 match win tally to 20. Last season, the former No.1 did not reach this total until Wimbledon.
15 – Bacsinszky is bidding to become the first Swiss finalist in Miami since Martina Hingis finished runner-up 15 years ago.
5 – By virtue of her run to the semifinals Azarenka will return to the Top 5 (at No.5) for the first time since May, 2014, at the expense of Simona Halep. This will be the first time Halep has been ranked outside the Top 5 since March, 2014.
4 – Four different nationalities are represented in the semifinals at Crandon Park for the fifth year in succession.
2 – Azarenka has reached the last four in Miami twice, in 2009 and 2011, and on both occasions she went on to win the title.
1 – Before this fortnight, Kerber and Kuznetsova had registered a combined total of one main draw win since the Australian Open.
0 – The number of sets Azarenka has dropped en route to the semifinals. The last player to be crowned Miami champion without dropping a set was Agnieszka Radwanska in 2012.