Last year’s finalist Grigor Dimitrov saved a match point on serve in the 12th game of the third set to beat Francisco Cerundolo 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in humid conditions at Hard Rock after 2 hours and 48 minutes reaching the semifinal for the second consecutive edition at the Miami Open one year after finishing runner-up to Jannik Sinner last year. Dimitrov won his 150th match at Masters 1000 level
Dimitrov won seven points more than Cerundolo and dropped serve twice from five break points he faced. He hit 30 winners to 46 unforced errors.
Cerundolo landed 31 winners to 43 unforced errors.
Both players traded breaks at the beginning of the match. Dimitrov saved a break point in the seventh game to hold serve for 5-4. The Bulgarian player earned five set points on reurn in the 10th game, but Cerundolo fended them off. Both players set up a tie-break. Dimitrov earned two more set points at 6-4 after a forehand error from Cerundolo. Dimitrov missed a volley on his second set point. Dimitrov drew Dimitrov’s error on his first set point at 7-6 and saved set points to win the tie-break 8-6 after one hour and 11 minutes.
Dimitrov held five service games in the second set. The Bulgarian player hit a drop shot and earned a break in the first game after a mistake from Cerundolo.
Dimitrov fired a service winner in the second game to hold his serve for 2-0. He held to love for 3-1 in the fourth game.
Dimitrov closed the sixth game with a service winner and hit a drive volley winner at 4-3. He held at love in the 10th game to close out the second set 6-4 after 1 hour and 48 minutes to send the match to the decider.
Cerundolo earned a break in the second game of the third set after Dimitrov’s loose forehand and held serve for 3-0. Dimitrov broke back in the fifth game after a forehand error from Cerundolo. Both players held six comfortable service games. Cerundolo opened a 6-5 lead. Dimitrov squandered three game points in the 12th game and faced a break point after a loose forehand. Dimitrov saved it with a service winner and held serve after another deuce to draw level to 6-6. Dimitrov hit a forehand crosscourt winner on the first point to earn a mini-break.
Dimitrov hit a service winner to open up a 3-0 lead and earned another mini-break for 4-1. He hit an unreturned serve for 5-2 and a forehand return winner on the ninth point to earn three set points and converted his first opportunity to seal the tie-break 7-3 after Cerundolo made a forehand error. The 14th seed set up a semifinal match against either Novak Djokovic or Sebastian Korda.
