Victoria Azarenka kept her hopes of a fourth Miami Open title alive as she reached the semi-finals with a hard-earned victory over Yulia Putintseva. While in the men’s draw Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz both marched into the quarter-finals.
The No 27 seed Azarenka, who won the tournament in 2009, 2011 and 2016, laboured for just under three hours as she battled past her Kazakhstani opponent 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-3. The 34-year-old saved three set points at 5-4 down in the opening set, then failed to convert two of her own before she held her nerve in the tie-break with some decisive forehands.
Putintseva hit back hard in the second, giving up a solitary game as she found her rhythm, but the momentum shifted when Azarenka salvaged a pair of break points at the start of the decider. After regaining control she did not take advantage of her first match point at 5-2 up, but made no mistake when the chance opened up again in her next service game.
Azarenka will face another Kazakhstani opponent in the last four after Elena Rybakina outlasted eighth seed Maria Sakkari in another marathon clash 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4. “I have no words because I’m so tired. But I’m really happy with the win. It was such a tough battle,” said Rybakina after clinching victory in two hours and 48 minutes.
In the men’s competition, the No 2 seed Sinner produced a strong showing to see off Christopher O’Connell and book a last-eight place. The Italian came through 6-4, 6-3 in windy conditions after weathering early problems. Behind 3-1 and 0-30 in the first set, he regained his composure to take five of the next six games.
Showing greater composure than his Australian opponent, Sinner broke at the first time of asking in the second set and closed out the win in one hour 51 minutes. Sinner, runner-up here in 2021 and 2023, will meet 23-year-old Czech Tomas Machac, who defeated Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi 6-3, 6-3 to earn his first appearance in a Masters 1000 quarter-final.
Another Italian bowed out as 23rd seed Lorenzo Musetti was brushed aside 6-3, 6-3 by top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who won 18 points from his 22 visits to the net. “I tried to play my game, play aggressive with my shots, go to the net, drop shots, my style,” said the Spaniard. “I think I did pretty well, and I’m really happy with my performance. “I’m feeling great on the court. I’m moving great, not injured or thinking about the ankle [injury] anymore. I think this is the best feeling since last summer.”
Next up for Alcaraz is 11th seed Grigor Dimitrov, who came from a set down to edge past eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Defending champion Daniil Medvedev came through in straight sets against Dominik Koepfer. After needing a tie-break to take a back-and-forth first set 7-6 (5), the Medvedev ran up a 6-0 scoreline in a one-sided follow-up.
He goes on to play Nicholas Jarry, after the Chilean’s 7-6 (3), 6-3 success over Casper Rudd. Unseeded Fabian Marozsan continued his run as he upset ninth seed Alex de Minaur 6-4, 0-6, 6-1.
