Bianca Andreescu reached her first final since winning the 2019 US Open title while world No 1 Ashleigh Barty bucked the upset trend at the Miami Open on Thursday to set up a blockbuster clash.
In the men’s draw, second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was stunned by Hurbert Hurkacz while Andrey Rublev rolled on to the semi-finals, ending the giant-killing run of Sebastian Korda.
Australia’s Barty fired 27 winners in a 6-3, 6-3 victory over fifth-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina to return to the title match of a tournament she won when it was last held in 2019. Canada’s Andreescu won her fourth straight three-setter to beat Greece’s Maria Sakkari 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 7-6 (7/4).
But Greece’s Tsitsipas was left trying to explain a “self-explosion” after he squandered a commanding lead in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 quarter-final loss to 26th seed Hurkacz of Poland — the latest in a string of upsets that saw men’s top seed Daniil Medvedev and No 3 Alexander Zverev bow out along with women’s No 2 Naomi Osaka.
Tsitsipas admitted it was a crushing outcome in a tournament where the absences of superstars Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and his own recent solid form seemed to offer him a chance to shine.
“I felt like it was my opportunity,” Tsitsipas said. “I feel like there was more space for me to show something greater. It’s a very disappointing loss.
“It was there, everything was under control. And suddenly, I don’t know, self-explosion.”
In the semis, Hurkacz will face Russian fourth seed Andrey Rublev who won a rain-interrupted quarter-final with a 7-5, 7-6 (9/7) victory over unseeded Sebastian Korda.
The 23-year-old Rublev advanced to his first Masters 1000 semi-final by beating Korda in straight sets in a night match, putting an end to Korda’s inspired Miami run by blasting five aces and winning 85 percent of his first serve points in the one hour, 42 minute match.
