Tennis News

Sinner Seeks To End Finn's Charge For Miami Quarter-final Berth

A year is a long time in the seminal stages of Jannik Sinner’s and Emil Ruusuvuori’s careers. One of the #NextGenATP Italian and the 21-year-old Finn will reach the quarter-finals of the Miami Open presented by Itau for the first time on Tuesday.

Both have shot up the FedEx ATP Rankings since. Sinner, who needed nearly three hours to battle past 14th seed Karen Khachanov on Sunday, went on to claim his first two ATP Tour titles since that Canberra clash and reached a quarter-final at a Grand Slam for the first time at Roland Garros. 

The 19-year-old is pressing on the cusp of the Top 30 and remains the highest seed standing in a wide open quarter of the draw. 

“It’s about trying to understand how to beat these guys, what can I improve more, trying to understand more the match,” Sinner said after defeating Khachanov. “Obviously it can give me a lot of confidence, but it’s always trying to understand what I’ve done good and what I can do better.”

Ruusuvuori, the World No. 83, has reeled off impressive three-set wins over #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, third seed Alexander Zverev and fellow Scandinavian Mikael Ymer in succession to reach his maiden ATP Masters 1000 Round of 16 in Miami this week. The first Finn through to the fourth round in Miami since Jarkko Nieminen in 2007, Ruusuvuori expected a vastly different match against Sinner this time.

“We’ve both have played a lot of tennis in between,” he said. “He’s improved a lot and has been playing great, as we all know. It’s going to be a very tough match again, he had a big win, it was a long time on the court too… We know each other pretty well and we’ve practised often, which is fun. He hits the ball so well, it’s going to be a fun match.”

As one of four American men through to the Round of 16, Frances Tiafoe will bid to match his best run in Miami from 2019, when he reached the quarter-finals (l. to Shapovalov). The 23-year-old will need to overturn a 0-3 ATP Head2Head record against top seed Daniil Medvedev to do so.

Tiafoe needed three sets in each of his first three matches to reach the Round of 16, while Medvedev overcame cramps and a dogged Alexei Popyrin in a two-and-a-half-hour-plus clash to book his place. The Russian World No. 2 will look to reach the quarter-finals in Miami for the first time.

Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas needed three sets to move past resurgent former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori into the fourth round on Monday night. The Greek will next meet Italian 24th seed Lorenzo Sonego, aiming to maintain his perfect record of having reached the quarter-finals or better in every event since his run to the Australian Open semi-finals in February.

While Tsitsipas is gunning for his seventh ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final appearance, Sonego – who beat Daniel Elahi Galan – will look to reach his second at this level, having reached the last eight at the 2019 Rolex Masters in Monte Carlo.

Russian fourth seed Andrey Rublev looks to extend his tour-leading 18-3 record for the season when he meets former World No. 3 Marin Cilic in the Round of 16. Rublev landed his third victory this month over Marton Fucsovics to advance, while Cilic ended the run of #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets.

Americans Sebastian Korda, Taylor Fritz and John Isner join Tiafoe in flying the home flag in their respective Round of 16 encounters. A maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final is on the line for #NextGenATP player Korda and Fritz. 

Korda meets No. 5 seed Diego Schwartzman, while 22nd seed Fritz takes on 32nd seed Alexander Bublik. The 2018 champion, Isner, squares off against seventh seed Roberto Bautista Agut, while Pole Hubert Hurkacz looks to add a second Canadian seed to his victims when he meets 12th seed Milos Raonic.

ORDER OF PLAY – TUESDAY, MARCH 30

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am
[18] J. Isner (USA) vs [7] R. Bautista Agut (ESP)
WTA MATCH Singles
[1] D. Medvedev (RUS) vs F. Tiafoe (USA)

Not Before 7:00 pm
WTA MATCH Singles

Not Before 8:30 pm
M. Cilic (CRO) vs [4] A. Rublev (RUS)

COURT 1 start 11:00 am
E. Ruusuvuori (FIN) vs [21] J. Sinner (ITA)
[22] T. Fritz (USA) vs [32] A. Bublik (KAZ)
[26] H. Hurkacz (POL) vs [12] M. Raonic (CAN)
[5] D. Schwartzman (ARG) vs S. Korda (USA)

Not Before 7:00 pm
[24] L. Sonego (ITA) vs [2] S. Tsitsipas (GRE)

BUTCH BUCHHOLZ start 1:00 pm
WTA MATCH Doubles
WTA MATCH Doubles
[4] I. Dodig (CRO) / F. Polasek (SVK) vs O. Marach (AUT) / L. Saville (AUS)

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Tiafoe On Medvedev Showdown: 'I'm Not Afraid Of Anybody'

When Frances Tiafoe walks on Grandstand Monday to face Daniil Medvedev for a spot in the Miami Open presented by Itau quarter-finals, the American will not be intimidated.

It doesn’t matter that the Russian star has won all three of their ATP Head2Head meetings, and that he only dropped five games against Tiafoe at last year’s US Open. Medvedev is the top seed and a three-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, but that’s okay, too. The World No. 58 fully believes he can spring the upset.

“I’m not afraid. I respect a lot of guys, but I’m not afraid of anybody on the Tour,” Tiafoe said. “I don’t have that scared [mentality] of already being a break down when I go out there. When I play these guys, I’m here to win. This is my court and they have to be sharing it.

“You almost have to flip the psyche of the situation. I’m ready to go. I got three good matches under my belt and I’m ready to go. It’s going to be a good one.”

Entering this tournament, Tiafoe had only rallied from a set down in a tour-level match once since the 2019 Mutua Madrid Open, and that came at last year’s US Open against Andreas Seppi.

The American has lost the first set in all three of his matches this week, and battled back each time to make the Round of 16 in Miami for the third time. This marked the first event where Tiafoe has won three straight matches on the ATP Tour from a set down. 

“It’s growth. Those are the things I’m looking to do. It’s been great this week,” Tiafoe said. “[Losing the first set has] definitely made it tougher. I wish I could win these matches easier, but those are hell of a players… these are the matches I need to start winning and I’m happy I am.”

One thing Tiafoe has never had a problem with is raising his level to compete against the world’s best. At this year’s Australian Open, he pushed eventual champion and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic to four sets, which included two tie-breaks. At the 2017 US Open, Tiafoe battled into a fifth set against Roger Federer.

“Those are the moments you live for. You live for those moments to play the best players in the world and see where you’re at and try to shake the world,” Tiafoe said. “That’s what I live for. It’s box office, it’s prime time. That’s what I’m about and I’m going to come for him.”

Although their meeting in Flushing Meadows last year was one-sided, Tiafoe has challenged the Russian before. At last year’s Australian Open, the American extended their match to four sets.

“You know he’s going to serve great. He’s going to run down balls, he’s going to put balls in awkward positions and make you play the extra ball time after time. You have to understand that and be okay with that,” Tiafoe said. “You have to go in with that mindset.

“[It is] understanding that that’s what it’s going to be. He’s waiting for you to crack. And [you have to] try to make an impact, stay super mentally tough. It’s not going to be easy. He’s one of the toughest customers we have and I’m just going to compete really hard.”

Tiafoe arrived in Miami with just a 6-6 record on the season. After his strong effort against Djokovic in Melbourne Park, the 23-year-old tried his hand on clay in South America, where he went 3-3. But an upset against Medvedev would not just put Tiafoe in his second Masters 1000 quarter-final; it would set him on an upwards trajectory for the rest of 2021.

“It’d be massive because I’ve had a pretty slow start to the year,” Tiafoe admitted. “This week I’ve been getting wins, tough wins, it’s big. Winning tomorrow would be huge. That changes your whole mindset for the rest of the year. You take one event to change your whole perspective and you just keep riding that wave.

“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow and for the people who don’t, they’re going to see tomorrow. I believe I can beat anybody.”

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Tsitsipas Halts Nishikori Comeback In Miami

Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame a mid-match wobble against Kei Nishikori as he sealed a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory on Monday to reach the fourth round at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The Greek player took commanding leads in the first and third sets, but he was in for a battle as the resurgent Nishikori, former World No. 4 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, made him work for every point in between. Tsitsipas fired 32 winners – including 14 from his forehand – across nearly two hours on his way to victory.

Tsitsipas moved into the fourth round in Miami for the second edition in a row, and will face 24th seed Lorenzo Sonego for a spot in the quarter-finals.

The second seed came flying out of the blocks on Grandstand against 28th seed Nishikori, who has been fighting to regain his form since returning from an injury break last year. Tsitsipas broke early to build up a 3-0 lead, and didn’t take his foot off the gas as he dropped only four points behind his serve during the set.

By contrast, Nishikori and Tsitsipas needed a hard-fought 20 minutes to decide the opening three games of the second set – and they all went to the Japanese player, who looked to be swinging more freely and hitting smart drop shots. Nishikori earned his lone break of the match and held serve under pressure, shaking off three break points in his first two service games to emerge with the 3-0 lead.

But he couldn’t keep up that high level in the third set, and Tsitsipas capitalised on Nishikori’s dip in form. After the Japanese player surrendered his serve in a marathon 10-minute first service game, it was one-way traffic for Tsitsipas as he closed out the victory in an hour and 56 minutes.

Tsitsipas will face 24th seed Sonego for a spot in his first Miami quarter-final, and his seventh quarter-final at an ATP Masters 1000. Sonego, who defeated Daniel Elahi Galan 7-6(6), 6-3, is into the fourth round at this level for just the second time after a run to the 2019 Monte Carlo quarter-finals.

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Korda Completes First In 17 Years For US Men In Miami

Sebastian Korda’s groundbreaking run at the Miami Open presented by Itau is checking off a string of firsts in the 20-year-old’s burgeoning career. A first Top 20 victory came over Fabio Fognini, then he became the first player outside the Top 5 this year to beat the in-form Aslan Karatsev, which sealed a maiden Round of 16 berth at an ATP Masters 1000 event.

The #NextGenATP player’s 6-3, 6-0 win over Karatsev set a showdown with fifth seed Diego Schwartzman and with it, the chance to notch a first Top 10 triumph and a maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final. For now at least, he has given cause to celebrate the success of American men’s tennis in South Florida.

On Monday, Korda joined compatriots John Isner, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe in the Round of 16. The last time four American men progressed as far in Miami was in 2004 when Andre Agassi, Todd Martin, Andy Roddick and Vincent Spadea did so.

“It’s cool. I think there is a lot of really good young Americans coming up, especially Taylor Fritz, he’s really pushing,” Korda said. “And then John Isner, he’s still around and still playing some really good tennis.

“Then you have myself and Brandon Nakashima trying to knock on the door and start playing a little bit better tennis. Yeah, I think all of the Americans are doing a really good job so far, and hopefully we can keep going.”

Korda was only four in 2004. While he doesn’t remember attending the tournament as a fan that young, he does recall meeting one of the four players from the US quartet to have last reached the Round of 16.

“I posted on Twitter my first Miami Open I took a picture with Andy Roddick. I don’t know what year,” he said. “I think that could have been 2007 maybe, my first real memory of the Miami Open. I don’t know if I came before that.”

From the 2004 quartet, Roddick went on to win the title, while Spadea was a surprise semi-finalist. Isner is the only one of the current four so far to have matched Roddick’s success in Miami.

The 35-year-old, who won the title in 2018 and finished runner-up the following year, defeated 11th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Sunday to set a clash with No. 7 seed Roberto Bautista Agut. His doubles partner, Fritz, will face Kazakh 32nd seed Alexander Bublik for his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final berth.

Three times already this week Tiafoe has prevailed in three sets to reach the Round of 16 for the third straight time. He fell to Denis Shapovalov in the 2019 quarter-finals and Kevin Anderson in the fourth round in 2018.

The World No. 58 will need to beat top seed Daniil Medvedev to match his best run in 2021. He, too, was thrilled so many of his compatriots had made deep runs alongside him.

“That’s big. Sebi, I’m impressed with that kid,” Tiafoe said. “He’s always working hard, got a good team around him. Pops [Petr Korda] obviously former No. 2 in the world, winning [a] Grand Slam. 

“I’m a fan and hopefully he can keep going. John obviously winning some matches is great and Taylor is playing great. It’s good to be a part of it and hopefully those guys keep going.” 

While Isner and Tiafoe have ventured deeper, a first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final beckons for Korda and Fritz. There will be no shortage of big-match Miami experience to draw on in Korda’s camp. 

“I’d say I have one of the best teams around me experience-wise,” he said. “I have my dad who was a Grand Slam champion, No. 2 in the world, my mum who was a Top 30 player, Radek Stepanek who is like my brother, we are always in contact, who was No. 8 in the world. 

“And then to have a friend and mentor as Andre Agassi, I don’t think you can have a better team. There is a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge passing around.”

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Musetti: 'You Cannot Have Second Chances'

Lorenzo Musetti fell short against former World No. 3 Marin Cilic on Monday in the third round of the Miami Open presented by Itau, but the #NextGenATP Italian leaves Florida with his head held high.

“I think these weeks I played with my highest level,” Musetti said. “I think the experience that I got from these weeks is incredible and I got the experience to play against these great champions. Sometimes we saw that I can even beat them.”

One week after his dream run in Acapulco, where he reached his first ATP 500 semi-final and claimed his maiden Top 10 win against Diego Schwartzman, Musetti maintained his momentum in Miami. The Italian defeated Michael Mmoh and Benoit Paire to advance to the third round of his first hard-court ATP Masters 1000 event.

Although the teen is thrilled with his success, Musetti is also taking plenty of lessons from his experience competing against some of the best players in the world. At 2-2 in the first set against Cilic, the World No. 94 earned two break points to get off to a quick start against the Croatian, but he did not convert. He would not get another opportunity in the match.

“I think here on the ATP Tour against players like Marin, you cannot have second chances. You have to take the first one,” Musetti said. “They are really professional and even in the tough moments, they are the best ones and you have to be as good as they are to be at that level.

“It’s not easy for me, because it’s the first time that I am playing at this level. But I am getting used to it and I learned a lot these two weeks. Now I [will] go home and I try to put on court in practice what I have learned.”

Musetti explained how hard he worked in the preseason to gain muscle and strength while remaining flexible, but he saw against Cilic that there was still room for growth in that department

“I have to be strong to be at this level, because today it was almost two metres [I was pushed back] and he is bigger than me, stronger than me, he moves really well,” Musetti said. “I need to grow, I need to work out to get to this level also physically.”

The FedEx ATP Race To Milan contender plans to next compete at the Sardegna Open in Cagliari, Italy. The 19-year-old is excited to get to work before beginning his clay-court season. Enjoying his recent success has made him even hungrier to improve.

“I will try to play closer to the baseline and try to work on the same things that I am working with the forehand, try to have the lead of the game when I play and try to be aggressive and to not wait too much to push forward,” Musetti said. “I will for sure practise [and will] train physically, because these three weeks I played a lot and I will try to recover my best and try to adapt to the physical conditions on the clay, because the movements and the slides are different.”

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Miami Open: Naomi Osaka and Ashleigh Barty through to quarters

Japan’s Naomi Osaka extends her winning streak to a 23rd match as she moves into the Miami Open quarter-finals for the first time.

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Schwartzman Masters Mannarino For Miami Fourth-Round Spot

Fifth seed Diego Schwartzman put in a masterful performance in his Miami Open presented by Itau battle against Adrian Mannarino, cruising into the fourth round without dropping a set after a 6-1, 6-4 victory on Monday.

Schwartzman improved to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head against 25th seed Mannarino in emphatic style, not allowing the Frenchman a look at a single break opportunity throughout the one-hour, 16-minute contest. 

“It’s a bit atypical that I didn’t face a break point today, because I am a player who is used to fighting off break points or fighting from a break down,” Schwartzman said in his post-match press conference. “Thankfully, one of the best qualities in my game has been the return.

“It’s clear that when I have days like today when I’m serving well, it gives me a lot of confidence to hit well from the baseline. I know I can take away my opponent’s chances.”

The Argentine set the tone early on inside Court Butch Buchholz, reeling off the first five games to start the match with a double-break, 5-0 lead. Schwartman’s speed and stamina were on display as he regularly outlasted Mannarino from the baseline. In fact, whenever the rallies went the distance, Schwartzman’s win percentage grew: by the end of the match, the fifth seed had won 31 points longer than five shots to Mannarino’s 18.

The only wobble for Schwartzman came late in the second set, and it was a minor one. The Argentina Open champion failed to convert his first match point on the Frenchman’s serve, but didn’t hesitate to serve it out himself in the next game.

“It was a very good match on my end, in almost every sense,” Schwartzman said. “There were just a few things that I did wrong, and I played with a lot of patience. I mixed it up with aggression whenever I had the chance. Mannarino is someone who plays with a lot of timing, but not as much speed, which allowed me to play my game and hit a lot of balls.” 

The victory sent Schwartzman into uncharted territory as he advanced to the round of 16 in Miami for the first time. He has yet to drop a set this fortnight, and will face Sebastian Korda next after the #NextGenATP American stunned 17th seed Aslan Karatsev 6-3, 6-0.

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Korda Joins Top 5 Stars With Karatsev Win

Sebastian Korda entered one of the most exclusive clubs of 2021 on Monday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The #NextGenATP American charged past Aslan Karatsev 6-3, 6-0 to become only the third player to defeat the Dubai champion this season. Korda is the first player outside the Top 5 to beat Karatsev this year, with the Russian’s two previous losses coming at the hands of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and World No. 4 Dominic Thiem.

“It is super special [to reach the Round of 16], especially playing a guy who was as hot as he was,” said Korda. “I just took the tactics that I used [against him] at Roland Garros and it worked out really well today.”

Korda claimed five service breaks throughout the match and dropped just three points behind his first serve (18/21) during the 67-minute encounter. Karatsev, who has played with unrivalled baseline aggression this season to reach the Top 5 in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, committed 31 unforced errors throughout the match.

“I stuck with my tactics throughout the whole match, stayed calm and stayed positive. It is a good win,” said Korda.

Korda’s win against Karatsev is the latest milestone in a memorable debut Miami appearance. The 20-year-old earned his maiden ATP Masters 1000 win in the first round against Radu Albot and claimed the biggest win of his career in the second round against World No. 17 Fabio Fognini. 

The 6’5” right-hander, who is the son of former World No. 2 Petr Korda, has produced his best tennis in his home state this season (7-1). In his opening tournament of the year, the Bradenton native advanced to his maiden ATP Tour final at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com (l. to Hurkacz).

Korda will face fifth seed Diego Schwartzman in the Round of 16. The Argentine advanced to the fourth round in Miami for the first time with a 6-1, 6-4 victory against Adrian Mannarino.

“[Diego] is going to be a tricky opponent, for sure,” said Korda. “Hopefully I can get some rest and play a good match against him.”

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Another Week, Another Quarter-final For Mektic/Pavic

Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic extended their perfect 2021 record of quarter-final appearances on Monday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The second seeds defeated Taylor Fritz and John Isner 6-4, 6-4 to reach their seventh quarter-final in as many events this season. Mektic and Pavic saved all four break points they faced to clinch victory in 63 minutes.

The Croatian pair, which owns a 22-3 record this year, is chasing its fourth title of the season. Mektic and Pavic have already lifted trophies at the Antalya Open, the Murray River Open and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.

Mektic and Pavic will meet Miomir Kecmanovic and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi for a place in the semi-finals. The unseeded team booked its place in the last eight on Sunday with a Match Tie-break win against 2016 champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.

Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury rallied from a set down to beat Marcelo Demoliner and Santiago Gonzalez 4-6, 6-4, 10-2. The seventh seeds will face American wild cards Sebastian Korda and Michael Mmoh in the quarter-finals.

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Hurkacz Downs Shapovalov, Raonic Next Up In Miami

Hubert Hurkacz improved to 6-0 on American soil this year, following his 6-3, 7-6(6) victory against Denis Shapovalov on Monday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Just two weeks after his loss to the Canadian at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Hurkacz converted his only break point of the match to record his 10th win of the season (10-5). The Pole, who won four matches en route to the Delray Beach trophy in January, is through to the Round of 16 in Miami for the first time.

Hurkacz improved to 3-1 in his ATP Head2Head series against Shapovalov. The World No. 37 recorded all three of his wins against Shapovalov in the United States, following previous victories in 2019 at the BNP Paribas Open and the Winston-Salem Open.

The opening set featured four break points. Hurkacz charged the net to save the three he faced and showed great defensive skill to convert a break point at 4-3. In a second set dominated by serve, Hurkacz won 83 per cent of his service points (29/35) and clinched his place in the next round with a powerful serve down the T.

The 24-year-old will face another Canadian in his next match: Milos Raonic. The 2018 quarter-finalist saved all three break points he faced to defeat Ugo Humbert 6-4, 7-5 and book a first ATP Head2Head meeting against Hurkacz.

Raonic has not dropped a set en route to the Round of 16. In his opening match of the tournament, the Canadian charged past Jordan Thompson 6-2, 6-1 in 59 minutes. Raonic is chasing his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami, having finished as a runner-up at four hard-court Masters 1000 tournaments.

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