Tennis News

Rublev Sets Korda Quarter-final Clash In Miami

Fourth seed Andrey Rublev will contest his second ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final after ending former World No. 3 Marin Cilic’s run at the Miami Open presented by Itau on Tuesday. Rublev’s 6-4, 6-4 victory was delivered in 82 minutes and set a showdown with #NextGenATP American Sebastian Korda.

Rublev lifted his tour-leading match-win count this season to 19-3 and extended his ATP Head2Head record against the Croatian to 3-1. He joins top seed Daniil Medvedev as one of two Russians into the last eight in South Florida.

Cilic was shooting for his first quarter-final in Miami since 2013 and his first win over a Top 10 opponent since his upset of Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round of last year’s Australian Open. After his semi-final finish in Singapore in February, this was the 32-year-old’s most promising run of 2021.

He had beaten 13th seed Cristian Garin before ending #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti’s run in straight sets. However, the in-form Rublev presented another step up. Rublev broke first for 3-2 and sustained the advantage to take the opening set after 41 minutes. His seven unforced errors were less than half the Croatian’s.

The Russian was in trouble when he found himself 0-30 down on serve at 1-2 in the second set before he reeled off four straight points to hold with a running forehand pass at full stretch. The minor escape only spurred him on as he broke again for 3-2 and never relinquished.

He finished with six fewer winners than the Croatian’s 24, but he only hit 16 unforced errors to Cilic’s 29. A maiden Masters 1000 semi-final will be on the line when Rublev next meets debutant Korda for the first time. 

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Korda Holds Off Schwartzman For Miami QF Berth

Sebastian Korda is through to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final, following a three-set upset of fifth seed Diego Schwartzman at the Miami Open presented by Itau on Tuesday. The 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 result was the #NextGenATP American’s first Top 10 victory.

One of four Americans to have started the day, it was the youngest, 20-year-old Korda, who was the last man standing. It will be Korda’s second ATP Tour quarter-final and second in his home state of Florida, having reached the Delray Beach Open final in February. 

“He made it tough. In that first set I served super hot, but he didn’t serve that well,” Korda said. “But then he picked it up and he was just fighting and he was playing some really good tennis after that, and then the third set was just a battle.”

Schwartzman was looking to reach the quarter-finals in Miami for the first time, in what would have been his sixth at ATP Masters 1000 level. The Argentine dug in to save a set point on serve to hold for 3-5, but was left shaking his head in disbelief as Korda painted the line with his 15th winner of the set in the ensuing game. 

The 20-year-old clinched the set at the 38-minute mark and it prompted an immediate lift in aggression from Schwartzman in the second set. The fifth seed pounced to break for 3-1, but the advantage was short-lived as Korda broke back three games later.

Schwartzman raised his level when it mattered as the American hit back-to-back forehand winners to concede serve and send the match into a deciding set. It was the World No. 9, however, who blinked first in the third. 

A sloppy game gifted Korda the early break and the American carried the advantage to serve for a place in the quarter-finals at 5-4.The first sign of nerves crept in as a match point went begging and Korda was broken, however, he responded with another break and served it out on his 21st forehand winner after two hours and 36 minutes.

Korda awaits the winner of fourth seed Andrey Rublev and former World No. 3 Marin Cilic. He equals his dad Petr Korda’s run to the Miami quarter-finals in 1994 and 1996 and stands one win from equalling his best result, a semi-final defeat to Pete Sampras in 1993.

“Yeah it’s super special, both my parents are here,” he said. “They’re supposed to fly today to Palm Springs to watch my two sisters [play golf]. They have their first major of the year in Palm Springs so hopefully they can keep staying here and keep going.”

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Why Desserts Are No Kryptonite For Sinner

Jannik Sinner admitted on Tuesday after his fourth-round win at the Miami Open presented by Itau that he is trying to “eat a little better” this year. That’s paying dividends, as he won his second ATP Tour title at the Great Ocean Road Open and he’s into his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final here in Florida.

But that won’t stop the World No. 31 from indulging in desserts.

“Honestly, for me it’s not important so much, what I am eating. I am just trying to somehow, when I have to eat carbohydrates or protein, just trying being in like the biggest or easiest [food groups]. It’s very simple,” Sinner said. “It’s not that if I am going to eat dessert in the evening, I am going to lose the match the day after. That’s for sure not what we think. A dessert in the evening, I’m always eating.”

During the offseason, however, Sinner’s team began consulting a nutritionist. While the #NextGenATP Italian has not made any massive changes to his diet, it’s been more educational to help him understand what to eat in certain situations. In Miami, for example, it’s hot and humid. On Sunday, the 19-year-old needed two hours and 50 minutes to beat Karen Khachanov.

“[We have] just maybe [been] changing a little bit, especially when it’s hot conditions, trying to eat better, which sometimes can help you,” Sinner said. “It’s a process, which I think everyone on my team said, ‘Look, it might be better if you do like this. Some players are eating healthy, some players are not eating healthy’.”

Sinner defeated Emil Ruusuvuori 6-3, 6-2 to reach his first quarter-final at this level. It was a big breakthrough for the Italian teen. But judging by his reaction — or a lack thereof — it was like another day at the office.

“Obviously I’m proud playing the quarter-finals in a big tournament, but the tournament is not over yet, so I am not relaxing,” Sinner said. “I’m trying to play better and better, day after day [I am] trying to improve and trying always to understand what I could do better match after match and then we’ll see what’s going on tomorrow.”

The 21st seed will try to continue his big run against 32nd seed Alexander Bublik. Two weeks ago, Sinner needed three sets to dispatch the Kazakhstani in Dubai.

“[I am] happy today,” Sinner said. “Tomorrow I will be ready for another tough match.”

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Look Out, John! Isner Bashes Head On Umbrella Mid-Match In Miami

Height might be an issue off court every so often for John Isner, whose 6’10” frame forces him to duck through doorways. But on court, his size has always been an advantage. That was until Tuesday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Isner was walking to his chair for a changeover during his fourth-round match against Roberto Bautista Agut when he banged his head on the umbrella hovering over his seat. The umbrella is there to protect the American from the sun, but on this occasion, Isner needed protection from the umbrella.

The 2018 champion took it well, looking at the nearby camera with a smile and saying: “Did you get that?”

Isner’s height paid off in other ways against the Spaniard, as he struck 23 aces. But Bautista Agut ultimately saved a match point to defeat the 18th seed 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(7) after two hours and 18 minutes.

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Dodig/Polasek Maintain Hot Streak In Miami

Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek got off to a hot start to their 2021 season, and it’s only getting better in Miami.

The fourth seeds eliminated Oliver Marach and Luke Saville 7-6(4), 6-4 after one hour and 48 minutes on Tuesday to reach the semi-finals of the Miami Open presented by Itau. The Croatian-Slovakian duo will play Marcelo Arevalo and Horia Tecau or Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski for a spot in the championship match at this ATP Masters 1000 event.

Dodig and Polasek competed well under pressure against Marach and Saville, saving five of the six break points they faced while converting two of their nine opportunities. The winners claimed 43 per cent of their first-serve return points en route to their victory.

The duo, which got together in 2019, won this year’s Australian Open and made the Dubai semi-finals. Their first big breakthrough as a team came two years ago, when Dodig and Polasek triumphed at the Western & Southern Open. They have claimed three tour-level trophies together and qualified for the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals.

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Medvedev Makes Miami Breakthrough

Just two days after surviving cramps in his third-round win against Alexei Popyrin, Daniil Medvedev earned a place in his maiden Miami Open presented by Itau quarter-final on Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-3 win against Frances Tiafoe.

In hot and humid conditions on Grandstand, the World No. 2 landed 24 winners and outlasted his opponent in baseline rallies to advance in 92 minutes. Medvedev, who is competing as the top seed at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time, is chasing his fourth trophy at the level this week.

“It was definitely a tough match,” said Medvedev. “[There were] a lot of great points, some of them he won, some of them I won… The serve helped me a lot today, especially in the second set.”

This year, Medvedev has already led Russia to the ATP Cup trophy and collected his 10th ATP Tour crown in Marseille. The reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion improved to 17-2 in 2021 with his fourth win in as many ATP Head2Head clashes against Tiafoe.

Medvedev will face Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the semi-finals. In the opening match on Grandstand, the Spaniard saved a match point to defeat 2018 champion John Isner 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(7) in two hours and 18 minutes.

“I don’t really care about ATP Head2Head, because it is always a new match. We saw some with Roger when he is like 15-0 against someone and the guy finally gets a win in maybe an important match.

“I am just looking forward to tomorrow. Roberto is a hell of a player. I feel like sometimes, when I have practised with him and played against him, that his Ranking should be higher. There are reasons why it is not and I am going to try to do something with it tomorrow.”

The Russian will enter that match seeking his first win against the seventh seed. Bautista Agut defeated Medvedev in the 2017 Tata Open Maharashtra final and also overcame the 6’6” right-hander in last year’s Western & Southern Open quarter-finals.

In a high-quality match, both players battled for baseline supremacy with 29 rallies passing the nine-shot mark (16-13 Medvedev). Tiafoe played with consistent aggression to push Medvedev into defensive positions, but it was the Russian who snatched late breaks in each set.

Medvedev charged across the baseline to extend rallies at 5-4 in the opener and capitalised on errors to take a one-set lead. In the second set, the Russian fired consecutive backhand winners, including a return winner on break point at 4-3, to serve for the match. Medvedev ended the fourth-round encounter with his 11th ace of the match.

Tiafoe was aiming to reach his second Miami quarter-final (2018). The 23-year-old battled through consecutive three-set matches against Stefano Travaglia, 19th seed Daniel Evans and 16th seed Dusan Lajovic to reach the Round of 16.

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Miami Open: Australia's Ashleigh Barty into semi-finals

Defending champion Ashleigh Barty moves into the Miami Open semi-finals with a battling win over Belarusian seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka.

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Bautista Agut Saves M.P. To Return To Miami Quarter-finals

Roberto Bautista Agut gained revenge for his 2019 quarter-final loss to John Isner on Tuesday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The Spaniard saved match point at 5/6 in a final-set tie-break to eliminate the 2018 champion 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(7) in two hours and 18 minutes. Bautista Agut entered his fifth ATP Head2Head encounter against Isner with a 1-3 record, but he played with forehand aggression in the closing stages to improve to 11-7 this season.

Across seven appearances at the tournament’s previous venue in Key Biscayne, Bautista Agut reached the Round of 16 on two occasions. Since the tournament moved to Hard Rock Stadium in 2019, the 32-year-old has advanced to the quarter-finals in each edition of the event (2019, ’21).

Bautista Agut is the first player to win a tie-break against Isner at the venue. The 6’10” American entered the match decider with an 11-0 tie-break record at the home of the Miami Dolphins.

The Spanish No. 2 took advantage of missed first serves in the first set. Bautista Agut rushed Isner with aggressive second-serve returns and won 64 per cent of points (7/11) behind the American’s second delivery to take the opener in 31 minutes.

Isner responded well in the second set, as he rushed his opponent into errors with deep groundstrokes and fired a backhand winner down the line to gain the only break of the set. With no service breaks in the decider, Isner charged into a 3/0 lead in the final-set tie-break and he held a match point at 6/5. Bautista Agut trusted his forehand to escape danger and, on his second match point, he used the shot to force Isner into an error and clinch victory.

The nine-time ATP Tour titlist is through to his third quarter-final of the season, following runner-up finishes in Montpellier (l. to Goffin) and Doha (l. to Basilashvili). Bautista Agut also led Spain to last month’s ATP Cup semi-finals (l. to Italy).

Standing between Bautista Agut and a first Miami semi-final will be top seed Daniil Medvedev or American Frances Tiafoe. The World No. 12 owns a 2-0 ATP Head2Head advantage against Medvedev and won his only previous meeting against Tiafoe.

Did You Know?
As a result of Isner’s loss, there will be a first-time champion in Miami this year.

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Sinner Storms Into First ATP Masters 1000 QF

Jannik Sinner continues to check “firsts” off his list. The #NextGenATP Italian reached his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final on Tuesday by beating Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori 6-3, 6-2 for a spot in the last eight of the Miami Open presented by Itau.

This is just the 19-year-old’s third Masters 1000 main draw, but Sinner is proving himself plenty comfortable at the elite level. The teen recovered well from a nearly three-hour-long slugfest against Karen Khachanov in the third round to dispatch Ruusuvuori after one hour and 10 minutes.

“For me it means a lot. The first goal is always trying to improve day after day, going on practice courts and then when you have sometimes good results, it makes you happy,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. “I’m very happy about that and obviously I’m looking forward to tough matches here.”

Sinner will next play 22nd seed Taylor Fritz or 32nd seed Alexander Bublik to reach the semi-finals. The 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champion has never played Fritz, and he defeated Bublik in their first ATP Head2Head meeting 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 two weeks ago in Dubai.

“You have to go on court and try to win matches. I’m just trying to do that,” Sinner said. “Sometimes it works, sometimes not. For me, it’s just important giving 100 per cent day after day and then I have to see what’s going to happen.”

Ruusuvuori came out firing, breaking the Italian’s serve in the first game of the match. But the 21st seed immediately returned the favour in a battle of two of the biggest-hitting rising stars on the ATP Tour.

Both men battled to take control of rallies early to stop their opponent from doing the same, and Sinner did a better job of playing from defensive positions. As the match wore on, Ruusuvuori began moving forward, but it was too late to turn the contest around.

“It was maybe the most important part, trying to go on court a little bit faster than him, trying to take the ball a little bit earlier,” Sinner said. “He’s obviously a very great player, beating very great tough opponents here. I was ready for this today and I’m very happy,”

This was the pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting. However, they played at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Canberra last year, with Ruusuvuori triumphing in straight sets.

It was an impressive tournament debut for Ruusuvuori, who became the first Finnish player to reach the fourth round in Miami since Jarkko Nieminen in 2007. There were linesmen for this match rather than HawkEye Live. The system was not working at the start of the contest, so the players left the court and returned once linesmen arrived.

Did You Know?&#x2028
Sinner has now reached his first Masters 1000 quarter-final and Grand Slam quarter-final before his 20th birthday. At Roland Garros last year, the teen advanced to the last eight, where eventual champion Rafael Nadal ended his run.

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Andy Murray eyes post-tennis career change as golf caddie

Andy Murray says he would like to become a caddie to a professional golfer when his tennis career ends.

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