ATP Miami: Roger Federer to play on Wednesday. Coric and Shapovalov win
Tuesday's action at Miami Open saw all the remaining players on the men's side of the draw, well, almost all, with the rain spoiling the action. After two longer delays, seven matches were completed at Hard Rick Stadium complex, including Novak Djokovic who suffered a tough loss against Roberto Bautista Agut. The only match that hadn't even started is the one between Roger Federer and Daniil Medvedev who will have to play on Wednesday. The 22-year-old Croat Borna Coric has won just six matches since the start of the season, suffering the second round loss at Indian Wells and heading to Miami determined to achieve a more prominent result.
The last year's quarter-finalist has stayed in the title chase after a solid 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over the 27th seed Nick Kyrgios in an hour and 56 minutes for the sixth Masters 1000 last eight appearance. This was the second win for Borna in four matches against the Aussie, playing better and better as the encounter progressed and firing 35 winners and 14 unforced errors. Kyrgios struggled to match those numbers, blasting 29 winners but also 26 unforced errors, losing ground in the mid-range exchanges and suffering three breaks in sets two and three to hit the exit door.
The Croat moved in front with a break in game four when Nick sent a forehand long and the tables turned soon after that, with Kyrgios breaking back in the next game with a forehand down the line winner. Making too many errors, Coric lost serve once again at 4-4 when his backhand landed wide and Nick closed the opener with a service winner in game ten for a 6-4 after 42 minutes. The 11th seed learned his lesson and it was all about him in the rest of the clash, dropping 13 points on serve in sets two and three and mounting the pressure on the other side of the net, waiting for a chance on the return patiently.
Borna lost just five points in five service games in set number two and broke Nick in the sixth game when he forced an error from the Aussie to open a 4-2 lead. A service winner pushed Coric over the finish line in game nine and he grabbed the momentum before the decider where they stayed neck and neck in the opening four games. A forehand winner sent the Croat ahead in the fifth game and he fended off three break points in the game that followed to cement the lead with four winners, moving closer to the finish line after another break in game seven when Nick received time violation to lose the point and the game.
Serving for the win, Borna held at 15 in the eighth game for the 41st Masters 1000 victory and much-needed points, setting the quarter-final clash with Felix Auger-Aliassime. The 28th seed Frances Tiafoe did not play well after reaching the Australian Open quarter-final but he is back on the winning track in Miami, toppling the 18th seed David Goffin 7-5, 7-6 after a grueling battle and a lengthy rain delay. David won their previous three matches and missed a chance to stay undefeated against the young American, scoring three breaks and facing 12 break chances, losing serve four times to push Frances over the finish line.
Tiafoe had 27 winners and 27 unforced errors, overpowering Goffin's 30-36 ratio, having the edge in the shortest and mid-range rallies to enter the maiden Masters 1000 quarter-final. The Belgian saved a break point in game five and we saw four breaks of serve after that, with Frances breaking back at 3-5 to extend his chances. It was all about the youngster in the rest of the set, rattling off the last four games and 16 out of 19 points for a 7-5 after a hold at love in game 12. They traded breaks in games three and four of the second set and they had to leave the court for two hours after a rain delay, with Goffin saving three break points in the ninth game to stay on the positive side of the scoreboard.
The set was decided in the tie break and Tiafoe won it 8-6 after a service winner to enter the last eight and join the other American John Isner in the closing stages of home Masters 1000 event. The 6th seed Kevin Anderson is competing for the first time since the Australian Open and he defeated Jordan Thompson 7-5, 7-5 in an hour and 51 minutes, losing serve once and scoring three breaks to prevail in straight sets. Jordan, who is on a roll in 2019 so far, kicked off the match in style, breaking in game four to open a 4-1 lead before Kevin pulled it back in game seven to settle into a nice rhythm. The South African broke again in game 11, serving out for the set in the following game to move closer to the finish line.
Thompson stayed in touch until 5-5 in set number two before Kevin claimed 12 of the last 14 points, breaking at 5-5 and sealing the deal with a hold at 15 in the next game to move into the quarters. In the battle of the upcoming youngsters, Denis Shapovalov took down Stefanos Tsitsipas 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 in two hours and 14 minutes, with two breaks on each side and 100 points won for each player! It was a wild run from start to finish, with Denis having the upper hand in the shortest and Stefanos in the more extended rallies, with both players dominating with their forehands and making a similar number of winners and errors.
The Greek was the better competitor in the opener, facing no break points and forcing a mistake from Denis to secure a break in the seventh game. Stefanos held after a deuce in game ten to grab the opener, losing the edge in set number two when Shapovalov raced into a 5-1 lead with a double break. The Canadian clinched the set with a service winner at 5-3 to set up a decider where they both served well to reach the tie break, with Shapovalov moving over the top with a forehand winner in the tenth point to advance into the third Masters 1000 quarter-final.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2uAmH3n
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