DEFENDING champion Hubert Hurkacz‘s quest to retain his Miami Open title continues, after he upset the tournament’s number one seed Daniil Medvedev today.
After winning the first set in a tie breaker, the Pole won the second a little easier to take out the match in straight sets, 7-67, 6-3.
Hurkacz served a whopping five aces across the match to Medvedev’s two, but the double fault count was quite the opposite. Medvedev served a whopping six double faults, compared to only two from Hurkacz.
The Pole finished with a higher first serve percentage, a higher first serve points won percentage, and a higher second serve points won percentage than his Russian opponent.
Medvedev did save a higher number of break points, but he did face vastly more of them than Hurkacz did.
Post-match, Hurkacz spoke of how crucial his returns were.
“I think the return was crucial. I was able to make a lot of returns and get some free points on my serve, because having rallies with Daniil is fun, but they get long,” Hurkacz said on his on-court interview. “It is good I was able to get some free points.”
He also said post-match that the tough conditions were actually in his favour.
“I have spent a lot of time in Florida, so I am used to the humidity,” he said. “I think the conditions were in my favour today, so I tried to use them.”
Hurkacz now faces Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the semi finals, after Alcaraz beat Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the other quarter final overnight.
Speaking about his next opponent, Hurkacz says that “Carlos has been playing some amazing tennis this year, only played good matches I think, so that would be super tough.”
MIAMI OPEN RESULTS:
WTA:
Naomi Osaka (JPN) defeated (22) Belinda Bencic (SUI) 4-6 6-3 6-4
(2) Iga Swiatek vs (16) Jessica Pegula (USA) 6-2
ATP:
(14) Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) defeated Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 6-75 6-3 7-65
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