Last year’s finalist Jannik Sinner saved five match points to beat Pablo Carreno Busta 5-7 7-5 7-5 in a thrilling 3-hour and 11-minute match on Court Butch Buchholz to advance to the Round of 16 at the Miami Open.
Carreno Busta earned an early break to take a 3-0 lead as Sinner hit a forehand inside the baseline into the net. Sinner broke back in the fifth game for 2-3 as Carreno Busta made a double fault.
Sinner earned a break in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead with a forehand down the line winner, but Carreno Busta broke straight back in the 10th game with consecutive winners to draw level to 5-5.
Carreno Busta earned two set points on Sinner’s serve and converted his second chance, as Sinner fired long with his 15th unforced error, to close out the first set 7-5 after 65 minutes.
Carreno Busta wasted two set points in the fourth and sixth games.
Sinner fended off his first match point on serve at 5-4 in the second set to hold his serve. The Italian player won 11 consecutive points to force the match to force the match to the third set.
Carreno Busta went up a break in the third set in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead, but Sinner broke back at love in the ninth game for 4-5.
Sinner saved four match points in a five-deuce service game that lasted 11 minutes before breaking serve in the 11th game. Sinner sealed a dramatic win on his second match point with a forehand winner. Sinner levelled his head-to-head record against Carreno Busta to 1-1.
Sinner has improved his record in deciding sets to 5-0 this season.
Sinner had already saved three match points against Emil Ruusuvuori in his previous match in Miami.
“At the start of the match we have not played well, because the wind was very strong. In the second set my serve helped me. I fired 15 aces in the second and third sets. The match became a marathon match and I have caught my opportunities to take the win. I would not hit the two drop-shots. They did not help me. It’s not my favourite shot and it was not the right choice in that moment”.
Sinner set up a Round of 16 match against Nick Kyrgios, who beat Fabio Fognini 6-2 6-4. Sinner and Kyrgios were set to meet at the same stage in Indian Wells, but the Italian player was forced to withdraw from the match due to illness.
