The Polish eighth seed triumphed 7-6 (7) 6-3 in two hours and three minutes and will meet either Carlos Alcaraz or Miomir Kecmanovic in the last four. The result also means that Novak Djokovic will remain at the top of the ATP rankings with a header on the ground, as Medvedev failed to get the victory he needed to surpass the 20-time Grand Slam champion. ATP Miami Henman advises Medvedev to return to No. 1 “fast enough” after defeat in Miami 3 HOURS BEFORE Reflecting on his victory, Hurkacz said: “My comeback was very important. I was planning to make a lot of comebacks and I was also able to earn a lot of free points on my serve. This was important because racing with Daniil is fun but they take a long time. so you want some free points!
“(Conditions were) ok for me. I spend a lot of time in Florida, so I’m used to the humidity. Conditions have been good for me today.” All eyes were on Medvedev as the players went to court, with many observers expecting the US Open champion to reach the last four in Miami for the first time in four appearances. However, it was the 2021 champion Hurkacz who got out of the traps to get suffocated early in the process. The Pole did not have to do much to break a lazy Medvedev the first time he asked, as the top seed combined some sloppy, no-fault errors with a double error. Hurkacz backed up some big forehands with some clever net raids, and a great backhand volley, with Medvedev winning 4-1, scored a double break opportunity. Medvedev set it aside with an amazing backhand crosscourt and hit the clutch function to stay in touch. The Russian was late to reach the competition and scored two full points in the next game with a backhand that closes the line. Hurkacz responded with great serve and was just as impressive in maneuvers out of danger to lead 5-2.
The 25-year-old Pole continued to attack and had two set points in the service of his opponent but could not make the turn. It would prove costly as a real swing trying to serve it saw Medvedev escape death and continue to force the tiebreak. The No. 2 in the world had recovered from a similar slow start against Jenson Brooksby in the previous round, but could not complete the rescue operation in this case, as Khurkas finally crossed the line with a score of 9-7 at the end. He reached the fifth set point and there was a great deal of luck associated with it, as 7-7 somehow fell in and left Medvedev smiling sadly. The 26-year-old Russian survived after a nine-minute examination of his serve in the opening game of the second set, saving two more break points to push the board in his favor, but continued to look far from his best. Hurkacz pushed again in the fifth game and finally broke the defenses of the top scorer to keep the fight going. Medvedev called the coach immediately after the consolidation of No. 10 in the world to lead 4-2 and appeared to be taking medication for stomach cramps. Hurkacz refused to break away from his goal and broke the tired Medvedev once again to win a well-deserved victory and stay on track for consecutive titles in Miami. ATP Miami ‘A huge talent’ – Kokkinakis, Brooksby leave Miami with enhanced reputation 13 HOURS AGO ATP Miami Medvedev on the verge of recovering No. 1 after the victory over Brooksby 29/03/2022 AT 19:52