Bianca Andreescu Survives Another Three-Setter To Reach Miami Semis - UBITENNIS
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Bianca Andreescu Survives Another Three-Setter To Reach Miami Semis

The Canadian needed almost three hours to book her spot in the final four.

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Bianca Andreescu (image via twitter.com.tennis)

Bianca Andreescu is into the semifinals of the Miami Open after beating the Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in just under three hours.

The eighth seed hit 42 winners while her opponent produced 21 unforced errors during their marathon clash at the Hard Rock Stadium. It is only the second time Andreescu has played in the tournament after 2019.

“Man that girl can really run” she said in her on-court interview after the match, ” after the first set I was honestly so tired but we both fought really hard, she’s an incredible fighter, I have no idea how I pushed through but I fought as hard as I could and I’m super happy with how I pulled out but she played amazing tennis”

Andreescu was the third Canadian Sorribes Tormo has played in the last couple weeks after beating Eugenie Bouchard in the final in Guadalajara and losing to Leylah Annie Fernandez in the semi final in Monterrey.

The Spaniard was quicker out of the gate and she pounced on her Canadian opponent earning two break points in the opening service game of the match and breaking to take an early 1-0 lead.

After holding serve to consolidate the break she would earn two more breakpoints as the Canadian was struggling to get into the match and would break again to go up 3-0.

The number eight seed finally woke up and earned her first breakpoint of the match winning a long intense rally and finishing the point with a forehand winner.

It would take four cracks at it with the Spaniard doing a good job saving them before the Toronto native got herself into the match breaking to get one of the breaks back.

She would hold serve to make it 3-2 before pushing to try and go back on serve but the Spaniard continued to fight and battle and held serve. The match was turning into a huge fight with long rallies and two players going at it.

At 4-3 the Canadian would earn two more breakpoints and would break the Spaniard once again with a powerful forehand to go back on serve at 4-4. That break of serve seemed to rattle her and she struggled to hold serve and that’s when the number eight seed went for the lead and that’s what she got.

Andreescu would serve out the set in what looked like a major comeback and was one set away from the semis tomorrow.

Losing the first didn’t deter the Spaniard who in a repeat of the beginning of the first set would break again with a stunning forehand passing shot to once again take a 1-0 lead.

This time the lead didn’t last that long and the world number eight responded immediately getting the break right back. She would get broken the very next game and the set followed a similar pattern where both players couldn’t hold serve and traded breaks back and forth.

It was Tomo who would finally hold serve to make it 5-3 and would break once more the following game sensing fatigue from her Canadian opponent winning the second set and sending it into a third set.

The third set stayed on serve until 2-2 when the number eight seed would earn three chances to break. It was on the third chance when she got she would break to take a 3-2 lead.

The next game was a very tough one for the Canadian as she found herself facing three breakpoints but rallied to save all three and hold serve. She would increase her lead the following game breaking to take a 5-2 lead.

When serving for the match her opponent wasn’t giving in and continued to play her game from the baseline with long rallies and won four straight points to make it 5-3.

The number eight seed would respond the very next game winning four points in a row as well and sealing the set, the match, and the win with her trusty forehand winner.

“I never played her before and it’s really hard to tell how a player plays online rather than actually playing them so I think I got caught off guard just a little bit,” said Andreescu.
I thought her ball would be a bit more heavy and deep and you really have to generate your own power. I felt like I was going for too much at the start but then I figured it out and I changed my game plan basically and I adjusted. The match was super up and down and it kept going like that and for me the main thing today was fighting harder than her and I know she is an incredible fighter so that was the main goal and I did that.”

She will now face Maria Sakkari who pulled off one of the biggest wins of her career beating Naomi Osaka and the Canadian finished the press conference by giving her thoughts on the match.

” I watched a little bit of that match, she played really well, she was dominating from the start and Naomi wasn’t quite there but she’s coming off a great win, I’m also coming off a big win too,” she said.
I’m sure she is very confident and I’ve watched her play many times so I kinda know what to expect but obviously it’s different once I step out there and I’m going to have to adjust with what I know now and what I am going to see on the court but I know it’s going to be a battle and I’m really looking forward to it.”

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Elena Rybakina beats Victoria Azarenka to reach her fourth final of the season at the Miami Open

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Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina beat Victoria Azarenka 6-4 0-6 7-6 (7-2) in the semifinal of the Miami Open to reach her fourth final of the season. 

Rybakina has improved to 4-0 in her head-to-head matches against Azarenka and has a seasonal record of 22 wins to 3 defeats. 

Both players were not able to convert their early break points in the opening set. 

Azarenka saved four break points in the first game to hold serve after three deuces. Rybakina fended off two break points in the sixth game. 

Rybakina earned the first break of the match in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Azarenka earned a break point in the eighth game, but she was not able to convert it. Rybakina served out the first set with a hold at love. 

Azarenka broke three times to race through to a bagel win in the second set. The three-time Miami Open champion dropped just two points on serve in the second set. She made a double faul on one of these points. 

Rybakina stopped Azarenka’s seven-game streak by holding serve to draw level to 1-1 in the third set. Rybakina earned her fifth break point in the fifth game with a backhand pass, as Azarenka was serving at 2-2, and converted her chance to take a 3-2 lead, when Azarenka hit a backhand into the net. Rybakina consolidated the break by holding serve to take a 4-2 lead. Rybakina fended off a break point with her 10th ace, as she was serving for the match at 5-4, but Azarenka earned a second break point after a long baseline exchange. Azarenka converted her break point when Rybakina volleyed into the net. Rybakina earned three mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-2. 

Rybakina won two titles in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi and reached her first WTA 1000 final of the season in Doha on hard court. 

Last year the Kazakh player won in Indian Wells and was a win away from winning the Sunshine Double in the Miami Open final, where she lost to Petra Kvitova 7-6 (16-14) 6-2. 

Rybakina is just the third player in the last ten years to reach back to back Miami finals following Serena Williams and Ashleigh Barty. 

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Alexander Zverev beats Fabian Maroszan to reach the semifinal in Miami

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Alexander Zverev beat Fabian Maroszan 6-3 7-5 to reach his third semifinal of the 2024 season at the Miami Open. 

Zverev will face the winner of the quarter final match between this year’s Indian Wells champion Carlos Alcaraz and 11 seed Grigor Dimitrov. Zverev reached the final at the Miami Open in 2018. 

Should Alcaraz beats Dimitrov, the Spanish player would meet Zverev for the second time this month. Alcaraz beat Zverev 6-3 6-1 in the quarter finals at Indian Wells. 

Zverev won 80% of his first serve points and saved the only two break points he faced. The German player committed just 10 unforced errors to Maroszan’s 23. 

Zverev converted his fourth break point in the third game of the first set and held serve at 15 to take a 3-1 lead. The 2021 German player saved a break point in the sixth game keepin a one-break lead. He closed out the first set 6-3 with a double break at 30.

Maroszan saved a break point in the second game of the second set to hold serve at love for 1-1. Zverev fended off a break point in the fifth game to hold serve after two deuces for 3-2. Both players held on serve until the 12th game. Zverev was leading 6-5 when Maroszan served to send the second set into the tie-break. The Hungarian player earned two game points, but he did not convert his chances. 

Zverev broke serve after two deuces on his first match point to seal the second set 7-5. 

“I love Miami. I always said that. I am happy to be back in these late stages of these tournaments, playing the best players in the world. I think there are only those left. I am looking forward to the challenge. If Maroszan keeps playing like that, he’s going to rise up the rankings very quickly. He always rushes you. I think when all players feel like they are in control, they feel like they manage the match and play the match a little bit in their own favour and against him, it’s not possible. That’s why he has such a great top 10 record of 4-2. He is an unbelievable player”, said Zverev. 

Maroszan was playing in his second quarter final at Masters 1000 level after reaching this stage in Shanghai in 2023. The Hungarian player has moved up 19 spots to a career-high of number 38 in the ATP Live Rankings. He will become the Hungarian player to reach the top 50 in the ATP Ranking. Earlier this tournament he claimed two top 10 wins over Holger Rune and Alex De Minaur. 

Zverev is aiming his sixth Masters 1000 title and his first trophy in the series since Cincinnati 2021. 

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Ekaterina Alexandrova upsets Jessica Pegula to reach the semifinal at the Miami Open

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World number 16 Ekaterina Alexandrova came back from one set down to upset Jessica Pegula 3-6 6-4 6-4 in 1 hour and 58 minutes reaching the semifinals at the Miami Open.

Alexandrova has drawn level to 1-1 in her head-to-head matches against Pegula. 

Alexandrova beat top 5 players In back-to-back matches for the first time in her career with her wins over world number 1 Iga Swiatek and Pegula. In her previous two rounds of the Miami Open she had defeated Donna Vekic and Anastasya Pavlyuchenkova. 

Alexandrova also beat 2022 Elena Rybakina in Adelaide last January and has the most wins in 2024 against players ranked in the top 5. She has a record of 6 wins to 17 defeats against top 5 players in her career.   

Pegula won four consecutive games from 2-3 down with two breaks to seal the first set 6-3. Alexandrova fought back breaking serve in the first game of the second set. The Russian player went up a double break in the seventh game to open up a 5-2 lead. Pegula pulled one break back in the eighth game for 3-5. Alexandrova served out the second set at love to force the match to the decider. 

Alexandrova earned an early break in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Pegula broke straight back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3, when Alexandrova double faulted on her fourth break point. Pegula held serve in the seventh game after a fantastic rally, but Alexandrova earned the decisive break, when Pegula went long with her backhand return on the second break point. Alexandrova held serve on her second match point and fell to her knees in joy.  

“It was extremely difficult for me because Pegula played amazing. In the third set, there were sometimes the kind of rallies where I could not understand how it was possible to return that ball, but it always came back. I just tried to play every single point like I knew she was going to be everywhere, so I need to do something and I was trying to wait and use any opportunities that I got”, said Alexandrova. 

Alexandrova set up a semifinal against Danielle Collins, the last remaining US player. It will be the first head-to-head match between Alexandrova and Collins.  

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