Jannik Sinner reached his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal after beating Alexander Bublik 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 after 1 hour and 41 minutes at the Miami Open. Sinner ha become the first Italian player to qualify for this stage of the US hard tournament since Fabio Fognini in 2017.
Bublik went up a break on his second opportunity with a passing shot to take a 2-1 lead. Sinner rallied from 0-40 down to earn three break points, but Bublik held serve after four deuces to open up a 3-1. Sinner broke back to 15 in the 10th game to draw level to to 5-5. Both players saved a break point point in the next two games en route to the tie-break.
Bublik got two mini-breaks to open up a 4-1 lead in the tie-break but Sinner pulled back on serve. Sinner hit three forehand winners from 4-5 down to claim the tie-break 7-5.
Bublik saved two break points in the first game of the second set before getting a break in the second game at deuce to take a 3-0 lead. Sinner broke back in the fifth game and saved five break points to hold serve after three deuces for 3-3. Sinner earned a break in the ninth game at 15 after two double faults from Bublik and sealed his spot on his first match point with an inside-in forehand, his 36th winner of the match. Sinner came back one set down to beat Bublik 2-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 in their previous head-to-head in Dubai a few weeks ago.
“We had a tough battle two weeks ago in Dubai. It was tough here today as well. It was strange today. He was changing the game. I never this kind of match, to be honest. I just tried to stay here, stick into the match and I am happy about my performance today, but the tournament is not over”, said Sinner.
Sinner is the eighth teenager to reach the semifinals in Miami. In the tournament’s 36-year-history following in the footsteps of Felix Auger Aliassime, Rafael Nadal, Lleyton Hewitt, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, André Agassi and Denis Shapovalov.
Sinner will face either world number 2 Danil Medvedev or Roberto Bautista Agut. Medvedev won his previuos two ATP head-to-head matches against Sinner. The Italian player claimed his only only previous match against Bautista Agut in Dubai.
