Alexander Zverev continued the quest for his first title of the season Tuesday, overcoming Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The World No. 4 captured six tour-level titles in a standout 2021 campaign but has yet to strike gold this year, with his best result coming in Montpellier where he reached the final.

Zverev is playing with confidence in Florida this week, however, having moved past Borna Coric and Mackenzie McDonald in his opening two matches. The 24-year-old dictated the forehand exchanges against Kokkinakis and played with greater consistency from the baseline to advance after one hour and 32 minutes.

“I wanted to shorten the points as it was quite hot,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “Thanasi is a very aggressive player so I tried to take that away from him. I was returning the second serve quite well. I kept putting pressure on him and kept being aggressive and it worked out well.”

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With his victory on Hard Rock Stadium, Zverev now leads the 25-year-old 1-0 in their ATP Head2Head series. The second seed will next face Casper Ruud after the Norwegian swept aside 10th seed Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4.

“Casper is a great player and playing incredibly well right now, so I am ready for a tough battle,” Zverev added.

Zverev is making his seventh appearance in Miami, with his best result reaching the championship match in 2018, when the event was held at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne.

Zverev played with great intensity at the start of the first set as he demonstrated impressive footwork to move inside the baseline and control points on his forehand. Kokkinakis struggled to impose his dynamic game on the German, who gained the crucial break in the fifth game in the first set before soaring through his service games to move ahead.

The German continued to control proceedings in the second set as he frequently finished points at the net after pulling the Australian from side to side. Zverev broke Kokkinakis to move into a 3-2 lead and from there he put his foot on the accelerator to advance.

Kokkinakis was aiming to reach the quarter-finals at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time. The World No. 97 has enjoyed a strong start to the season, capturing his maiden tour-level title in Adelaide before he lifted the Australian Open men’s doubles trophy with Nick Kyrgios.

Casper Ruud has found a winning groove at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Norwegian completed his third win in five months over Cameron Norrie at the Miami Open presented by Itau on Tuesday, putting in a commanding performance to surge to a 6-3, 6-4 win and reach the quarter-finals in south Florida for the first time.

The sixth seed arrived in Miami having never won a main-draw match at the ATP Masters 1000 event but has now produced three high-class performances to reach the last eight without dropping a set.

Since a heavy defeat to Ruud in the San Diego championship match in October, Norrie has clinched a maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open and risen to the brink of the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings. Yet Ruud’s powerful game appears to be a difficult matchup for the World No. 12, who now trails the Norwegian 0-3 in the pair’s ATP Head2Head series.

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Ruud came into the match having dropped just eight games in his opening two rounds, the least of any player in the last 16, and he looked in good touch again from the start on Grandstand. The sixth seed was in control throughout the first set and clinched it thanks to a break in the fourth game.

The Norwegian remained imperious on serve and was helped by an uncharacteristically wayward performance from his opponent. Ruud took full advantage to break twice in the second set as the combination of pace and accuracy on his groundstrokes was too much even for the effervescent Norrie.

Ruud won 85 per cent (33/39) of points behind his first serve in the one-hour, 32-minute victory, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Although a late lapse meant he gave up a break for the first time in the tournament when serving for the match at 5-2, the seven-time ATP Tour titlist once again showed his first delivery is a weapon that could cause problems for any player left in the field.

A former semi-finalist at the Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, this is the first time Ruud has reached the quarter-finals on a hard court at this level. His next opponent at Hard Rock Stadium will be second seed Alexander Zverev, who beat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-4, 6-4 to reach the last eight. Zverev has won the pair’s two previous tour-level meetings, coming out on top in the quarter-finals of both the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati and the Rolex Paris Masters in 2021.

Top 20 stars Casper Ruud and Reilly Opelka will be in action at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, an ATP 250 tournament taking place from 4-10 April at River Oaks Country Club.

North America’s only clay-court tournament on the ATP Tour returns to River Oaks for the first time since 2019. The 2022 field includes a pair of former champions in Cristian Garin (2019) and John Isner (2013).

World No. 8 and 2019 River Oaks finalist Ruud is among the top-ranked players entered in the field. This year’s participants have won a combined 42 tour-level titles, with 12 coming on clay.

Isner is one of eight Americans signed up on the initial player entry list. Headlining the US contingent is Opelka, who won his third career ATP Tour title in Dallas last month and reached the Delray Beach final the following week.

The 19 players on the initial entry list represent 10 countries and will feature nine competitors playing at River Oaks for the first time.

“Our player reveal gives us more excitement that we are finally returning to River Oaks for the first time in three years,” Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer said. “We are thrilled to welcome well-accomplished ATP Tour stars along with great talent making their debut at River Oaks. We also cannot wait to welcome back our fans to River Oaks in less than a month.”

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Australia’s Nick Kyrgios has been awarded the first main draw wild card entry to the event.

The winner of six career tour-level singles titles, Krygios reached the quarter-finals at the BNP Paribas Open earlier this month. Kyrgios, a US Clay quarterfinalist in 2018, has three times finished as runner-up in his career, including at one previous ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati in 2017.

Reigning Australian Open doubles finalists Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell highlight the 14 doubles teams on the initial entry list for the clay-court tournament.

The event will also feature four all-American doubles teams. The American teams include Sam Querrey, the 2012 River Oaks doubles champion, and partner Steve Johnson, a two-time singles champion.

Former NCAA doubles victor Mackenzie McDonald joins forces with 2020 Roland Garros doubles quarter-finalist Tommy Paul, while 2018 River Oaks doubles finalist Frances Tiafoe unites with four-time ATP Tour titleholder Nicholas Monroe. Marcos Giron, one of five players in both the singles and doubles main draws at River Oaks, will compete with former NCAA doubles champion Hunter Reese.

Defending River Oaks doubles champion Santiago Gonzalez will go on a quest for a repeat run with 27-time ATP Tour titleholder Lukasz Kubot.

“We are thrilled to reveal our 2022 doubles field,” Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer said. “With doubles being popular to play, our fans will enjoy the competition of former River Oaks champions, NCAA doubles winners and the rest of the great talent in the field.”

Two-time champion Steve Johnson and the tournament’s winningest active player Sam Querrey headline the initial entry list for qualifying.

A two-round qualifier featuring 16 players will be held opening weekend, 2-3 April, with four players advancing to the tournament’s main draw, which begins Monday, 4 April and runs until the championship on Sunday, 10 April.

Johnson won consecutive titles at River Oaks, in 2017 and 2018, to be the first repeat champion at US Clay since Andy Roddick in 2001-02. The winner of two NCAA singles titles while playing at the University of Southern California, he owns an 11-5 record in Houston. Johnson has won four ATP Tour titles during his career.

Querrey has a 17-10 record in his career at US Clay to lead all active players for match wins at the event. Along the way, he has reached a pair of finals (2010 and 2015) while also claiming the doubles title in 2012. He has reached the Wimbledon semi-finals while also twice being a quarter-finalist there. He owns 10 tour-level crowns.

Two other qualifying entrants have previously reached the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship semi-finals: Daniel Elahi Galan as a qualifying wild card in 2019 and Pablo Cuevas in 2011.

Tuesday’s action-packed slate at the Miami Open presented by Itau will see the fourth round start and finish, with eight high-stakes matchups on tap. The draw’s top half has yielded a marquee matchup between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Carlos Alcaraz, as well as a tough test for World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev against Jenson Brooksby. Defending champion Hubert Hurkacz will face Lloyd Harris, while Indian Wells champ Taylor Fritz takes on Miomir Kecmanovic for a spot in the quarter-finals of the year’s second ATP Masters 1000 event. 

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

[3] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. [14] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)

It was one of the shocks of the 2021 US Open when the unproven Alcaraz upset Tsitsipas in the third round. But the Spaniard backed up that fifth-set tie-break win by reaching the quarter-finals in New York, and he has gone from strength to strength from there, rocketing into the Top 20 behind a pair of ATP Tour titles (Umag, Rio de Janeiro).

Both men are in top form entering Tuesday’s rematch, as Tsitsipas looks to level their ATP Head2Head at one win apiece. The Greek dominated Alex de Minaur, 6-4, 6-3, to reach the last 16, while Alcaraz, who has yet to drop a set in Miami, was a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Marin Cilic in the third round.

Tsitsipas is the higher-ranked player, but Alcaraz has been more consistent on the season at 13-2. The Greek, whose record stands at 17-6, is one spot higher at No. 6 in the ATP Race To Turin, thanks to his semi-final run at the Australian Open.

“I’m going to try and fight. He’s a great player.” the Greek previewed. “For me, it is going to be a big challenge to step out on the court. I like these kinds of challenges. I’m going to put my soul out there and give it my all.”

Following their US Open matchup, Tsitsipas said he had “never seen someone hit the ball so hard”. On his second look, he will look to find the right game plan to cool the red-hot 18-year-old in the slow Miami conditions.

[1] Daniil Medvedev vs. Jenson Brooksby (USA)

Medvedev and Brooksby will square off for the first time, with the American booking the showdown by coming back from 0-4 down in the third set against Roberto Bautista Agut.

In an intriguing stylistic matchup, the 6-foot-6 Medvedev and the 6-foot-4 Brooksby will match wits with their unique brands of tennis. Expect a lot of variety and dogged retrieving from both men, though Medvedev is more than capable of taking the direct route in points with a big serve and forehand. His opponent may lack that quick-strike ability, but he more than makes up for it with an impressive all-around game with few weaknesses.

Sitting at a career-high of No. 39 in the ATP Rankings, Brooksby already has experience against the game’s best on the biggest stages. He caused Novak Djokovic fits with his unorthodox game at the US Open as he dominated the opening set in their fourth-round matchup, ultimately falling in four entertaining sets.

As for Medvedev, who went on to beat Djokovic in the New York final, two more wins in Miami will see him overtake the Serb to reclaim the World No. 1 ranking with a semi-final showing.

[8] Hubert Hurkacz vs. Lloyd Harris (RSA)

The defending Miami champion overcame a pair of tricky matchups against Arthur Rinderknech and 29th seed Aslan Karatsev to kickstart his 2022 campaign in South Florida, going three sets to get past Karatsev and reach the last 16. The unseeded Harris also enters on the heels of a three-set win, his coming against Yoshihito Nishioka on Monday.

With no rest day for the top half of the draw, fitness could be a factor in this one. 

Neither man has been able to sustain top form so far in 2022, with Hurkacz’s best result coming in a Dubai semi-final run and Harris failing to win a match until he followed a Davis Cup victory with a three-set win over Facundo Bagnis at Indian Wells.

Harris again beat Bagnis to open his Miami campaign, but backed it up this time with a 6-3, 6-4 win against 12th seed Denis Shapovalov before downing Nishioka in three.

The winner of their match on the Grandstand will face the winner of Medvedev vs. Brooksby.

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[11] Taylor Fritz (USA) vs. Miomir Kecmanovic (SER)

Fritz and Kecmanovic will meet for the second time in 11 days after Fritz won a three-setter in the Indian Wells quarter-finals. Fritz has shown no signs of slowing down after winning his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title, beating Mikhail Kukushkin and Tommy Paul to reach the fourth round as Miami’s 11th seed. 

Following his 7-6(2), 6-4 win over Paul, the American said his ankle is a little worse than after his Miami Opener, but “way, way better” than it felt in Indian Wells.

As he gets set for his ninth match in just over two weeks, the 24-year-old is hoping to keep the momentum going.

“It’s tough,” he said. “Obviously my body is feeling it a bit, but I’m kind of just thinking I’m playing good, my confidence is high, so I want to keep riding it out as much as possible — instead of the other way you can go, which is being satisfied and thinking, ‘Oh, I did really well this week, it’s OK if I don’t do so well the next week.’

“I kind of just kept telling myself to not be satisfied with doing well in Indian Wells. I want to do well here. I just want to ride out this confidence and the good tennis that I’m playing and just keep it going.”

While Kecmanovic is still seeking his first tour-level title of 2022, the 22-year-old is bidding for a fourth consecutive quarter-final appearance following deep runs in Rio de Janeiro, Santiago and Indian Wells. The in-form Serb also made the last 16 at the Australian Open, where he lost to Gael Monfils.

That run of results has Kecmanovic at No. 16 in the ATP Race To Turin, while Fritz is sitting pretty at No. 3, behind only Rafael Nadal and Medvedev.

The winner here will take on Tsitsipas or Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.

ORDER OF PLAY – TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2022

STADIUM start 12:00 noon
ATP – [Q] T. Kokkinakis (AUS) vs. [2] A. Zverev (GER)
ATP – [1] D. Medvedev vs. J. Brooksby (USA)

Not Before 3:00 pm
WTA – [22] B. Bencic (SUI) vs. [WC] D. Saville (AUS)

Not Before 7:00 pm
WTA – N. Osaka (JPN) vs. [9] D. Collins (USA)

Not Before 9:00 pm
[11] T. Fritz (USA) vs. M. Kecmanovic (SER)

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am
ATP – [6] C. Ruud (NOR) vs. [10] C. Norrie (GBR)
ATP – [WC] N. Kyrgios (AUS) vs. [9] J. Sinner (ITA)
ATP – F. Cerundolo (ARG) vs. [28] F. Tiafoe (USA)
ATP – L. Harris (RSA) vs. [8] H. Hurkacz (POL)
ATP – [3] S. Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. [14] C. Alcaraz (ATP)

BUTCH BUCHHOLZ start 11:00 am

ATP – R. Bopanna (IND) / D. Shapovalov (CAN) vs. [6] W. Koolhof (NED) / N. Skupski (GBR)

Not Before 12:00 pm
WTA – K. Flipkens (BEL) / S. Mirza (IND) vs. E. Alexandrova / Z. Yang (CHN)

Not Before 2:00 pm
[1] V. Kudermetova / E.Mertens (BEL) vs. A. Rosolska (POL) / E. Routliffe (AUS)

After Suitable Rest
[WC] T. Kokkinakis (AUS) / N. Kyrgios (AUS) vs. [3] M. Granollers (ESP) / H. Zeballos (ARG)
S. Bolelli (ITA) / F. Fognini (ITA) vs. F. Delbonis (ARG) / Ma. Gonzalez (ARG)

The Miami Open presented by Itau action heats up on Tuesday with all fourth-round matches taking place at the ATP Masters 1000 event. A first meeting between Jannik Sinner and Nick Kyrgios headlines the action from the bottom half of the draw, while second seed Alexander Zverev battles Thanasi Kokkinakis and Top 20 stars Casper Ruud and Cameron Norrie face off as both seek a first quarter-final appearance at Hard Rock Stadium.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

[9] Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs. [WC] Nick Kyrgios (AUS)

A maiden ATP Head2Head meeting between Jannik Sinner and Nick Kyrgios would be an exciting prospect anywhere in the world, but on Monday the pair face off for the first time in Miami, a city synonymous with winning for both players.

Sinner reached the championship match on debut at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in 2021, while Kyrgios is a two-time semi-finalist who holds a 14-4 match record at the event. Fans may have been deprived of a Sinner-Kyrgios clash at the BNP Paribas Open two weeks ago after the Italian was forced to withdraw from their fourth-round match due to illness, but they haven’t had to wait much longer to glimpse what should be an intriguing matchup.

After last year’s exploits, Sinner could have been forgiven for feeling the pressure of expectation on his return to south Florida. The 20-year-old has certainly had to battle in Miami so far this year but dug deep to fend off three match points to edge Emil Ruusuvuori in his opening match and save five more against Pablo Carreno Busta in the third round.

In contrast Kyrgios’ time on court has been relatively brief, the Australian having dropped just nine games across his opening two matches against Andrey Rublev and Fabio Fognini in Miami. The six-time ATP Tour titlist has looked back to his best across the Sunshine Double, reaching the quarter-finals in Indian Wells without dropping a set before falling to Rafael Nadal. Sinner will be another tough test for Kyrgios as he tries to maintain his excellent form, but the wild card is brimming with confidence.

“I wanted to keep the momentum going,” said Kyrgios after Fabio Fognini in the third round. “As soon as I had break points, I wanted to take them. I served well and I am happy to be through. I am just returning well. My doubles has helped me a lot on [the] singles court. The way I am serving and returning is quite a sight to see.”

[2] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [Q] Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)

Another duo facing off for the first time on Tuesday is second seed Alexander Zverev and Thanasi Kokkinakis.

A tough start to 2022 means No. 4-ranked Zverev is still hunting a first trophy of the year, but the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion believes his opening wins over Borna Coric and Mackenzie McDonald show he is starting to find his way under the Florida sun.

“I’m happy to be finding my rhythm a little bit,” Zverev said after taking out McDonald in straight sets. “I’m happy with getting easier wins, as well. [I’m] just generally happy to be in the fourth round. I think the tournament is going to get tougher from here, but I’m ready.”

Zverev has triumphed at four of the nine Masters 1000 events and came mighty close to doing the same in Miami in 2018 when he fell to a three-set defeat to John Isner in the championship match. However, until this week the German hadn’t won a match in south Florida since the tournament’s 2019 move to Hard Rock Stadium.

Qualifier Kokkinakis has got his hands on two trophies this year, clinching a maiden ATP Tour title in his hometown of Adelaide in January and then lifting the Australian Open doubles title with Kyrgios. The Australian came through qualifying in Miami without dropping a set and has carried that momentum into the main draw, taking out 13th seed Diego Schwartzman and fellow qualifier Denis Kudla to reach the fourth round for the first time.

[6] Casper Ruud (NOR) vs. [10] Cameron Norrie (GBR)

Zverev or Kokkinakis’ quarter-final opponent will be settled in a Top 20 clash between Casper Ruud and Cameron Norrie.

Sixth seed Ruud is showing signs of bringing his Masters 1000 clay-court success to Hard Rock Stadium. The Norwegian is a former semi-finalist on the red dirt in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, but his opening wins over Henri Laaksonen and Alexander Bublik this tournament are his only main-draw victories in Miami.

In Norrie he faces another of the in-form players on Tour, and one who seems to thrive in front of North American fans. The Brit’s 14-match winning streak on the continent was only ended by Rafael Nadal in the Acapulco final in February. Norrie bounced back immediately to reach the quarter-finals defending his title in Indian Wells and his wins over Jack Draper and Hugo Gaston have brought him to the fourth round in Miami for the first time.

The pair has met twice before, with Ruud claiming victory both times but in contrasting styles. The Norweigan cruised to the title in San Diego in October with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Norrie in the final of the ATP 250 event but was then pushed to three sets by the Brit at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin in November. With both players striking the ball well and with a title apiece already in 2022, this fourth-round clash remains a hard one to call.

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[28] Frances Tiafoe (USA) vs. Francisco Cerundolo (ARG)

A big opportunity awaits both home favourite Frances Tiafoe and Argentine Francisco Cerundolo when they meet.

No. 103-ranked Cerundolo has impressed on his Masters 1000 main-draw debut and dropped just five games to 22nd seed Gael Monfils in the third round. It is his first meeting with Tiafoe and he will hope to do more damage to the 28th seed’s game than his younger brother, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, managed in his 6-3, 6-2 defeat to the American on Sunday.

It is a fourth consecutive fourth-round appearance in Miami for Tiafoe, who was pushed to three sets in his opening match by #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima. The 24-year-old has been hampered by an elbow injury in 2022 and his victories this week represent the first time he has won two matches in a row since November.

ORDER OF PLAY – TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2022

STADIUM start 12:00 noon
ATP – [Q] T. Kokkinakis (AUS) vs. [2] A. Zverev (GER)
ATP – [1] D. Medvedev vs. J. Brooksby (USA)

Not Before 3:00 pm
WTA – [22] B. Bencic (SUI) vs. [WC] D. Saville (AUS)

Not Before 7:00 pm
WTA – N. Osaka (JPN) vs. [9] D. Collins (USA)

Not Before 9:00 pm
[11] T. Fritz (USA) vs. M. Kecmanovic (SER)

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am
ATP – [6] C. Ruud (NOR) vs. [10] C. Norrie (GBR)
ATP – [WC} N. Kyrgios (AUS) vs. [9] J. Sinner (ITA)
ATP – F. Cerundolo (ARG) vs. [28] F. Tiafoe (USA)
ATP – L. Harris (RSA) vs. [8] H. Hurkacz (POL)
ATP – [3] S. Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. [14] C. Alcaraz (ATP)

BUTCH BUCHHOLZ start 11:00 am

ATP – R. Bopanna (IND) / D. Shapovalov (CAN) vs. [6] W. Koolhof (NED) / N. Skupski (GBR)

Not Before 12:00 pm
WTA – K. Flipkens (BEL) / S. Mirza (IND) vs. E. Alexandrova / Z. Yang (CHN)

Not Before 2:00 pm
[1] V. Kudermetova / E.Mertens (BEL) vs. A. Rosolska (POL) / E. Routliffe (AUS)

After Suitable Rest
[WC] T. Kokkinakis (AUS) / N. Kyrgios (AUS) vs. [3] M. Granollers (ESP) / H. Zeballos (ARG)
S. Bolelli (ITA) / F. Fognini (ITA) vs. F. Delbonis (ARG) / Ma. Gonzalez (ARG)

Dominic Thiem and Stan Wawrinka will make their highly anticipated returns in Marbella on Tuesday at the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open, an ATP Challenger Tour event.

Wawrinka will be the first star who returns, as he faces Swede Elias Ymer in the second match on Estadio Manolo Santana. 

The Swiss, who celebrated his 37th birthday on Monday, underwent two foot surgeries last year. The former World No. 3 has not competed since Doha just more than one year ago.

Watch Live Stream: Wawrinka vs. Ymer (Second on, Play Starts At 10 a.m. local)

Thiem will make his comeback against Pedro Cachin of Argentina, in the match following Wawrinka’s against Ymer (NB 1:30 p.m. local).

The Austrian suffered a right wrist injury while competing in Mallorca last June. Unlike Wawrinka, Thiem’s injury did not require surgery.

Watch Live Stream: Thiem vs. Cachin (Third On, NB 1:30 p.m. local)

Stefanos Tsitsipas clicked into gear in a dominant third set against J.J. Wolf on Saturday night, and it was more of the same against Alex de Minaur on Monday evening at the Miami Open presented by Itau. The Greek improved to 8-0 in their ATP Head2Head history, including a pair of straight-sets wins this season.

“I was able to execute very well today,” said Tsitsipas, who was hunting his forehand early and often. “There were a few moments where I had to fight a little bit and show my inner strength. He fought, as always, and I was very patient. I was trying to focus game after game on how I can open the court and come in.”

In a 6-4, 6-3 victory, a five-game stretch spanning both sets produced the crux of the 90-minute tussle.

Tsitsipas scored the match’s first break in a six-deuce game to seal the opening set, claiming his reward for consistent pressure on the return throughout the set. De Minaur snapped back to create three break points early in the second set, but Tsitsipas held firm and then moved ahead 3-1 to seize control. The Greek dropped just one point on serve in his final three service games.

The third seed was locked in on his backhand return from the start of the match, guiding several close to the sidelines to take the initiative and create three early break points, though De Minaur fought them off with aggressive play.

While the Aussie was quick to step into the court when he could, stunning his opponent with a few forehand winners, Tsitsipas came out ahead on the new Balance of Power metric, Tennis Data Innovation’s new analysis tool. He held an edge of three percentage points there, 26 to 23, with both men surpassing the ATP Tour average of 22 per cent of shots played in attack.

In the second set, Tsitsipas had an even more distinct advantage as he closed out the match, as shown below.

The win sets up a fourth-round showdown against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday, when the entire last 16 will be in action. Tsitsipas’ fifth-set tie-break loss to Alcaraz was one of the shocks of the 2021 US Open, but the 18-year-old Spaniard has proven his run to the New York quarter-finals was no fluke.

“I’m going to try and fight. He’s a great player.” the Greek previewed. “For me, it is going to be a big challenge to step out on the court. I like these kinds of challenges. I’m going to put my soul out there and give it my all.”

Also in evening action in Miami, Miomir Kecmanovic continued his hot form with a 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Sebastian Korda. He’ll take on another American in Taylor Fritz for a spot in the quarter-finals.