Taylor Fritz is adding new meaning to “California Dreamin’” this week at Indian Wells.

The 20th seed reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final on Saturday when he defeated seventh seed Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open. The home favourite will face a Spaniard, Rafael Nadal or Carlos Alcaraz, on Sunday in the biggest match of his career.

“It’s just unreal, really. It doesn’t even seem real. I’m just trying to take in the moment, regroup and come back tomorrow for the final,” Fritz said in his on-court interview. “But it’s a dream come true.”

Fritz, a California native, is the first man from his country to make the Indian Wells championship match since John Isner in 2012. When the American arrived in the desert for last October’s edition, he had never advanced to an ATP Masters 1000 semi-final. In 2021 he reached the semi-finals, and now he is 9-1 at Indian Wells in the past six months, including a 3-0 record against Top 10 opponents.

Fritz won a battle for the baseline against the big-hitting Rublev to earn the biggest victory of his six-plus years on Tour. It seemed the match might have been slipping out of his grasp after he missed an opportunity to serve out the first set at 5-2. However, he never panicked and continued his aggressive play throughout to eliminate the frustrated Rublev after one hour and 50 minutes.

“Today I definitely played my best match of the tournament so far. I was so much more aggressive from the ground and so much more solid [with] my groundstrokes, whereas [in] other matches I was maybe playing a bit safer,” Fritz said. “I really tried to take it to him and impose my game today. I did it well, so that helped a lot.”

Rublev is used to dominating action in his matches, pummeling forehands from the first opportunity to keep the action on his terms. But Fritz fearlessly attacked the 10-time ATP Tour titlist’s serve to snap his opponent’s 13-match winning streak.

Rublev found ways to rein in his unforced errors in key moments — saving eight of the 11 break points he faced — and keep the match close. But the seventh seed faced too much pressure to overcome, often showing his frustration to his team. At the end of the first set, he launched a ball into the California sky and then punched his racquet’s stringbed, drawing blood and necessitating a medical timeout. Earlier in the set, he forcefully thundered his racquet into his leg.

Fritz did not sprint out to an immediate lead in the second set like he did in the first, when he had opportunities to earn a 5-1 lead. But he was calm throughout, especially when he saved two break points at 4-4 between strong serving and powerful groundstrokes.

In the last game of the match, Rublev hit one of the best reflex volleys you will see all year. But on the next point, he missed an easy forehand right on top of the net. And Fritz capitalised on his first match point by doing what he did throughout the encounter, crushing a Rublev serve.

The American now leads the Russian 3-2 in their ATP Head2Head series. They have known each other since the juniors, having been born eight days apart. Fritz and Rublev shared a nice embrace at net, but it is the home favourite who will move on to the final.

“It’s amazing. Just the support I got today, the crowd was so amazing and they really pushed me on,” Fritz said. “I wouldn’t be able to do it if I didn’t have all the support here, so thank you.”

Did You Know?
If Fritz wins the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday, he will become the first American man to lift the Indian Wells trophy since Andre Agassi in 2001.

The second part of the Sunshine Double will see Daniil Medvedev lead the field at the Miami Open presented by Itau for the 37th edition of ATP Masters 1000.

This will be the second ATP Masters 1000 event of the season following the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Ahead of the hard-court event, here is what you need to know.

When is the Miami Open presented by Itau?

The 2022 Miami Open presented by Itau will be held from 23-3 April. The hard-court tournament, established in 1985, will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The tournament director is former World No. 4 James Blake.

Who is playing at the 2022 Miami Open presented by Itau?

The Miami Open presented by Itau will feature a packed field, including Medvedev, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, Italian Matteo Berrettini, World No. 7 Andrey Rublev and #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.

When is the draw for the Miami Open presented by Itau?

The Miami draw will be made on Monday 21 March at 12 p.m.

What is the schedule for the Miami ATP Masters 1000 event?

* Qualifying: Monday, 21 March – Tuesday, 22 March at 10:00 a.m.
* Main Draw: Wednesday, 23 March – Sunday, 3 April. Wednesday, 23 March – Thursday, 31 March at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Friday, 1 April at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Saturday, 2 April at 3:00 p.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 3 April at 1:00 p.m.
* View On Official Website

What is the prize money for the Miami Open presented by Itau?

The prize money for the Miami Open presented by Itau $8,584,055 and the Total Financial Commitment is $9,554,920.

SINGLES
Winner: $1,231,245 / 1,000 points
Finalist: $646,110 / 600 points
Semi-finalist: $343,985 / 360 points
Quarter-finalist: $179,940 / 180 points
Round of 16: $94,575 / 90 points
Round of 32: $54,400 / 45 points
Round of 64: $30,130 / 25 points
Round of 96: $18,200 / 10 points

DOUBLES ($ per team)
Winner: $426,010 / 1,000 points
Finalist: $225,980 / 600 points
Semi-finalist: $120,520 / 360 points
Quarter-finalist: $61,100 / 180 points
Round of 16: $32,630 / 90 points
Round of 32: $17,580 / 45 points

How can I watch the Miami Open presented by Itau?

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How can I follow the Miami Open presented by Itau?

Hashtag: #MiamiOpen
Facebook:@MiamiOpenTennis
Twitter: @MiamiOpen
Instagram: @miamiopen

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Who won the last edition of the Miami Open presented by Itau in 2021?

Hubert Hurkacz won the 2021 Miami Open presented by Itau singles title with a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory against Jannik Sinner in the championship match (Read & Watch). Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic lifted the doubles trophy in Miami with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph against Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski in the final (Read More).

Who holds the Miami record for most titles, oldest champion, youngest champion and more?

Most Titles, Singles: Andre Agassi, Novak Djokovic (6)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan (6)
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 37, in 2019
Youngest Champion: Novak Djokovic, 19, in 2007
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Ivan Lendl in 1986, 1989, Pete Sampras in 1994, Roger Federer in 2005-06, Novak Djokovic in 2012, 2015-16
Lowest-Ranked Champion (since 1985): No. 45 Tim Mayotte in 1985
Most Match Wins: Andre Agassi (61)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Key Storylines

Can Medvedev Bounce Back? Medvedev will aim to respond from his disappointing third-round exit at Indian Wells when he takes to court in Miami. It will be the fourth time the 26-year-old has competed at the event, with his best result coming last season when he reached the quarter-finals. The four-time Masters 1000 champion is searching for his first title of the year.

Tsitsipas Seeking Second Masters 1000 Trophy: Stefanos Tsitsipas will make his fourth appearance in Miami as he bids to win his second Masters 1000 title, having triumphed in Monte-Carlo last year. The Greek has yet to crack the winning code at a tour-level event in 2022, but he reached the championship match in Rotterdam and the semi-finals at the Australian Open and in Acapulco.

Reigning Champion Hurkacz: Hubert Hurkacz broke new ground in Miami last season when he soared to the title as the World No. 37. The Pole defeated Top 10 stars Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev en route to the final, before he overcame #NextGenATP Italian Jannik Sinner. The 25-year-old clinched three tour-level titles and cracked the Top 10 in a strong 2021 and will be aiming to regain his best form in Florida.

#NextGenATP Stars: Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner are continuing to make waves on Tour after enjoying breakthrough years in 2021. The 18-year-old Alcaraz became the youngest player to win an ATP 500 event when he triumphed in Rio de Janeiro in February and showcased his talent in Indian Wells, where he dismantled Top 20 countryman Roberto Bautista Agut for the loss of just two games.

Sinner has reached quarter-finals at the Australian Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this season and won all three of his ATP Cup matches in January.

Canadian Charge: Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov have impressed this season, with Auger-Aliassime earning his maiden tour-level title in Rotterdam, before he advanced to the final in Marseille the following week. Shapovalov, who helped guide Canada to the ATP Cup title alongside Auger-Aliassime, upset Alexander Zverev en route to the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and enjoyed a run to the last four in Dubai.

Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov have fond memories in Miami, having both soared to the semi-finals in 2019 when aged just 18 and 19, respectively.

Did You Know?

After 32 years at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, the Miami Open presented by Itau made its debut at Hard Rock Stadium — home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins — in 2019. The event was named the ATP Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year in the ATP Awards from 2002-06 and again in 2008.

Spanish legend and master of the sport Rafael Nadal will face #NextGenATP apprentice and countryman Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday in a battle between two generational talents.

Since capturing his first tour-level title in Sopot in 2004, Nadal has enjoyed a remarkable career, capturing a further 90 tour-level trophies, including a record-breaking 21 Grand Slam crowns and 36 ATP Masters 1000s. The World No. 4 earned his 400th Masters 1000 win this week in Indian Wells.

Following his quarter-final victory over Nick Kyrgios, Nadal was full of praise for Alcaraz as he looked ahead to both the upcoming clash and the future.

“He has a great team next to him,” Nadal said when asked about Alcaraz in his post-match press conference. “I think he will be unstoppable in terms of his career. He has all the ingredients. He has the passion. He’s humble enough to work hard. He’s a good guy. He reminds me a lot of myself when I was 17 or 18-years-old. I think he has the passion. He has the talent and the physical components.

“I am super happy. He is going to be a great rival for now and for the next couple of months, without a doubt,” Nadal said. “But thinking and being selfish, it’s great. To have such a star from my country [is amazing]. It is fantastic for the tennis lovers and he’s a countryman and he’s a great guy. I like him. I wish him all the very best. Probably not on Saturday when he plays against me, but in general.”

Are you ready for this?@RafaelNadal v. @alcarazcarlos03 @BNPPARIBASOPEN | #IndianWells pic.twitter.com/w4YpOi5x3S

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 18, 2022

The 35-year-old has continued to show little sign of slowing down this season. The World No. 4’s win against Kyrgios in Indian Wells moved him to 19-0 on the year, extending his career-best start to a campaign.

However, the fourth seed’s biggest Indian Wells test lies ahead in the shape of 18-year-old Alcaraz. The teenage prodigy will enter the popcorn encounter against Nadal 12-1 on the season and is relishing the opportunity to face the man he calls his ‘idol’.

“It’s amazing to play against Rafa,” Alcaraz said. “He has been my idol since I was a kid, so it’s never easy to play against him, but I think it’s going to be a great match. I think it’s a great experience for me to play him in [a] Masters 1000 semi-final here in Indian Wells. I’m going to have fun out there and enjoy every single second in the match. It is a very special experience for me.”

Since storming onto the Tour two years ago at the Rio Open presented by Claro, Alcaraz has consistently turned heads.

The Spaniard’s maiden tour-level victory came against Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the Brazilian city in February 2020. Last month, at the same venue, he became the youngest ATP 500 champion since the category was created in 2009 when he clinched the title in Rio de Janeiro, signifying his rapid rise.

Between those landmark events, Alcaraz has triumphed in Umag, become the youngest US Open quarter-finalist in the Open Era, lifted the trophy at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals and cracked the Top 20 in the ATP Rankings.

On Saturday, under the guidance of coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz will play Nadal for the second time in his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final. The legendary lefty leads their ATP Head2Head series 1-0 after triumphing 6-1, 6-2 in Madrid last season. However, Alcaraz looks a different beast both physically and mentally since their last meeting.

The 18-year-old has blitzed his way through a highly competitive field over the past week at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, dispatching Top 20 stars Roberto Bautista Agut, Gael Monfils and Cameron Norrie in straight sets. He is now the second-youngest semi-finalist in tournament history behind only Andre Agassi, 17, in 1988. Alcaraz is projected to climb into the Top 15 in the ATP Rankings on Monday regardless of his result against Nadal.

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Meanwhile, Nadal has defeated Sebastian Korda, Daniel Evans, Reilly Opelka and Kyrgios en route to the semi-finals in the California desert as he aims to win his fourth Indian Wells title (2007, 09, 13).

With both reaching the semi-finals, it means Spain has multiple men in the last four in Indian Wells for the first time in the tournament’s 46-year history. If Nadal can pass the Alcaraz test and then win the title on Sunday, he will move level with Novak Djokovic on a record-equalling 37 Masters 1000 crowns.

Nadal is also aiming to clinch his fourth tour-level crown of the year, having lifted trophies at the Melbourne Summer Set, Australian Open and the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in 2022. 

Andrey Rublev and Taylor Fritz will take the court prior to the all-Spanish showdown, with the pair having split four previous ATP Head2Head meetings. They met twice on hard courts in 2021, with Rublev winning in Dubai and Fritz at the Rolex Paris Masters.

Rublev takes a 13-match winning streak into the semi-finals as he seeks a third straight ATP Tour title following triumphs in Marseille and Dubai. Fritz has also been hot since his breakthrough run to the Indian Wells semi-finals five months ago — that result started a 24-8 run that’s seen him reach five ATP Tour quarter-finals as well as the Australian Open fourth round, his career-best Grand Slam showing.

The seventh seed has been in better form en route to the final four, winning all eight sets he’s played and being pushed to a tie-break just once, by 11th seed Hubert Hurkacz in the third round. He blitzed past 33rd seed Grigor Dimitrov, 7-5, 6-2, in the quarter-finals.

The American, by contrast, has played three sets and one tie-break in each of his past three outings, including consecutive third-set tie-breaks against Jaume Munar and 29th seed Alex de Minaur. But he was good value for his 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-1 quarter-final win over Miomir Kecmanovic, dropping serve just once in nearly two hours of play.

“He’s a great player, talented,” Rublev said of his opponent. “He’s won many good matches. Has an amazing serve. Good, strong shots. Especially here on a hard surface, the way he plays, it fits him a lot…. Of course he has great potential. The way he serves is huge advantage.”

The two 24-year-olds came up through the juniors at the same time and had several meetings at that level before their professional bouts. Fritz won their first ATP Tour meeting in 2018 in the Indian Wells second round, as well as their most recent matchup in Paris in November — a 7-6(2), 7-5 contest that featured just one break of serve and one break point for each man.

“I always feel like I play really good tennis when I play against him,” Fritz previewed. “I hit well off of his ball. It’s a lot of big hitting back and forth. I know I’m going to have to serve like I’ve been serving. I’m definitely going to have to step it up from the baseline.”

The first semi-final is scheduled for 1 p.m. local time, with Nadal and Alcaraz to follow.

John Isner and Jack Sock are back in the Indian Wells doubles final as they look to repeat their 2018 title run at ther BNP Paribas Open. They booked their return ticket with a dominant 6-3, 6-2 victory over Andrey Golubev and Alexander Zverev on Friday night.

The American duo did not drop a set in 2018, ultimately claiming the crown with a win over compatriots Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan in the final. They started their 2022 run with a match tie-break win over top-seeded Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, and have since won six straight sets to get back into the title round.

Playing as wild cards this year, Isner and Sock cruised to a semi-final victory behind early breaks in each set. The Americans proved strong frontrunners in the contest as they served out both sets to love, winning 83 per cent (24/29) of their first-serve points.

The boys are back in town 👊

Former champs @JohnIsner and @JackSock92 take out Zverev/Golubev 6-3 6-2 to secure their place in the final!#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/Jwhr2QlO1g

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 19, 2022

The only break points they faced came after a break to open the second set, but from 15/40, they held for 2-0 and never let their Kazakh/German opponents back in the match.

Isner and Sock were a perfect 3/3 on their break point chances in an efficient victory that finished in one hour.

They may face another American in the final in Rajeev Ram. Ram and partner Joe Salisbury, the second-seeded duo, are up against Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the evening’s second semi-final.

Five months after a breakout run to the autumn edition of the BNP Paribas Open, Taylor Fritz is back in the final four in 2022.

In a 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-1 victory over Miomir Kecmanovic, the American showed great patience and power to edge the unseeded Serbian.

A deserving winner, Fritz was sharp throughout the nearly two-hour match, save for a nightmare service game that handed his opponent a late break against the run of play in set two. The 20th seed got his first break of the match on his eighth chance early in the decider, then seized the initiative to run away with the win.

The Southern California native was already the first American to reach back-to-back Indian Wells quarter-finals since Andy Roddick in 2009-10, and he again matches the former World No. 1 with consecutive semis in the desert.

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Fritz faced two break points at 5-5 in the opening set, but escaped after saving the second one with a brave down-the-line backhand to close a 29-ball rally. 

He again showed great shot tolerance in the tie-break as he built a 5/1 lead by drawing errors from his opponent. But the Serb found his range as he measured two imposing winners on the way to levelling at 5/5. Fritz regained a mini-break by taking another lengthy point, patiently working his way forward to bring up set point. A big serve put away the set.

The American stayed on top early in set two, but after five break points went begging, a nightmare service game gifted Kecmanovic a break for 5-3. Fritz could hardly believe it as he followed a forehand miss with three consecutive double faults. He managed to bounce back to create his sixth break point of the set, but could not stop Kecmanovic from serving it out. 

Set three was one-sided, but not in the way one might have expected after the way the second ended. A refreshed Fritz finally made his breakthrough on the return on his eighth break chance, then repeated the feat on break point No. 10 as he eased to a 5-0 lead. A love hold finished the job.

Fritz’s semi-final run at the BNP Paribas Open in October sparked what is now a 24-8 run that has included five ATP Tour quarter-finals and a career-best fourth-round Grand Slam showing at the Australian Open. 

The 22-year-old Kecmanovic was on a roll himself entering the quarter-final with a 13-5 record on the season, including a win over World No. 6 Matteo Berrettini in the fourth round to match his career-best victory by the ATP Rankings.

World No. 7 Andrey Rublev now awaits the American, who is now one win away from his first ATP Masters 1000 final.

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Rafael Nadal has stolen the Indian Wells headlines with his 19-match win streak, but Andrey Rublev is hot on his tail — and the pair is now one win apiece away from putting those streaks on the line in a championship showdown.

The seventh seed made it 13 consecutive wins with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Grigor Dimitrov on Friday at the BNP Paribas Open. One the heels of back-to-back ATP Tour titles in Marseille and Dubai, Rublev continued his stellar form to reach the Indian Wells semi-finals for the first time.

He never trailed in a 7-5, 6-2 win over 33rd seed Grigor Dimitrov on Friday at the BNP Paribas Open, earning a dominant victory in a battle of former junior World No. 1s. Should Rublev go on to win the title in Indian Wells, he will tie his career-long winning streak of 15.

“I played really well,” Rublev said. “Since the beginning, it was more about who would be the first one, who would start to lead the point, who would start to dictate to play more aggressive. Both of us would like to take our forehand and try to dictate, so it was just who’s going to be the first one.”

Rublev dropped just seven points on first serve in the contest, winning 81 per cent (29/36) of those points and dropping serve just once in the match. That break came at a crucial moment, with Dimitrov using a sweetly struck backhand pass to help prevent the fourth seed from serving out the opening set.

But Rublev answered with an immediate break back and found a higher gear to overwhelm the Bulgarian the rest of the way. His powerful baseline game proved too much for Dimitrov, who was powerless to stop the relentless attack.

After sealing the opening set with an ace — one of four in the match — Rublev raced to a 5-1 lead in set two behind a decisive run in which he won seven of eight games.

Dimitrov had only faced two break points and dropped serve just once in 31 service games entering the quarter-final, but Rublev managed four breaks on 10 chances in the match.

“Return here is one of the most important things,” he said. “If you can bring as many returns as possible [into the court], and then here with these conditions, in some moments it’s tough to serve. But this is for everyone.”

As in the opening set, Dimitrov fought admirably with his back against the wall, saving a match point to hold for 5-2 in a four-deuce game — the longest of the 90-minute contest. He then brought up a break point in the match’s final game before Rublev closed the door.

Both men entered the quarter-final match without dropping a set in the tournament, and Rublev made it eight on the trot by overwhelming the Bulgarian to reach his fourth ATP Masters 1000 semi-final in the past 12 months. He is still seeking his first title at that level after reaching the final in Monte Carlo and Cincinnati in 2021.

After knocking off one 2021 Indian Wells semi-finalist, he could face another in 20th seed Taylor Fritz in the next round. The American takes on Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic next on Stadium 1.