In the Miami Open quarterfinals, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev emerged victorious against their respective opponents. Alcaraz defeated Taylor Fritz, the ninth seed, with a score of 6-4, 6-2 in just 78 minutes. The young Spaniard began strongly, breaking Fritz’s first service game, and repeated the same at the start of the second set, winning the game to love. Alcaraz went on to break Fritz again to lead 5-2 and ended the match without losing a point in the final game. Alcaraz will next face Jannik Sinner, the Italian tenth-seed, as he aims to complete the ‘Sunshine Double’ following his win over Medvedev in Indian Wells.
Christopher Eubanks, the qualifier, had an impressive run until he faced Medvedev in the quarterfinals. The American held his first two serves, but he was unable to take advantage of five breakpoints in a thrilling fourth game. A half-hour rain break interrupted Eubanks’ momentum, and he was broken on his first service game after the resumption of play, allowing Medvedev to take a 4-3 lead. Medvedev went on to break Eubanks again to take the first set. Eubanks showed character and broke back in the sixth game of the second set to keep his hopes alive. Eubanks saved two match points, but on the third, he missed a straightforward volley, ending his resistance. Medvedev won the match with a score of 6-3, 7-5.
Medvedev has now won 22 of his last 23 matches, with titles in Rotterdam, Doha, and Dubai during that run. He reached the final of Indian Wells, where he lost to Alcaraz. Medvedev will face Karen Khachanov, his fellow-Russian, in the semifinals, after the 14th seed beat Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 6-2. Khachanov broke Cerundolo to lead 3-2, but then lost his next two service games, and Cerundolo was unable to recover. Khachanov will face his childhood friend and rival, Medvedev, in the semifinals.
