Roger Federer vs Nick Kyrgios Miami Masters 2017 SF Preview
While the early semi final between Rafael Nadal and Fabio Fognini feels like it will be a routine win for Nadal, the late semi…
While the early semi final between Rafael Nadal and Fabio Fognini feels like it will be a routine win for Nadal, the late semi…
Kicking off the day session in Miami is the first semi final between Rafael Nadal and Fabio Fognini. It looks on paper…
Johanna Konta says she feels “relief”, after defeating seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams 6-4 7-5 to become the first British woman to reach the Miami Open final.
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Federer vs Kyrgios | Nadal vs Fognini
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SEMI-FINALS PREVIEW: Friday’s semi-finals at the Miami Open presented by Itau Friday are headlined by superstars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who are one match away from meeting for the third time this season and the 37th overall in a rivalry that began here in 2004. But first Federer must get past Aussie Nick Kyrgios and Nadal must defeat Italian Fabio Fognini. Both Kyrgios and Fognini are trying to become the first player from their respective country to reach the final in the tournament’s 33-year history. Both are also trying to advance to their first ATP Masters 1000 final.
In the first match, No. 5 seed Nadal brings a 7-3 head-to-head record (3-1 on hard) against unseeded Fognini, who is appearing in his second career ATP Masters 1000 semi-final (2013 Monte-Carlo, l. to Djokovic). Nadal has won the last two meetings in straight sets (2015 Beijing, 2016 Barcelona) since Fognini’s comeback win from two sets down in the 3R of the 2015 US Open. They played here in the 4R in 2014 with Nadal winning 62 62. Nadal is looking to reach his fifth Miami final (2005, 2008, 2011, 2014) while Fognini is trying to become the first Italian to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final (since 1990). Nadal has only lost one set en route to his seventh Miami semi-final, his first since 2014. He is two wins away from capturing his 70th career title.
The 29-year-old Fognini is the first unseeded semi-finalist here since 2007, when qualifier Guillermo Canas reached the final (l. to Djokovic). Fognini defeated last year’s finalist and No. 4-ranked Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals and he’s trying to post back-to-back Top 10 wins in a tournament for the first time since 2013 ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo (d. No. 6 Berdych in 3R and No. 9 Gasquet in QF).
In the evening match, No. 4 seed Federer and No. 12 seed Kyrgios meet for the second time. In their previous meeting in the 2R at ATP Masters 1000 Madrid in May 2015, Kyrgios fired 22 aces and saved two match points in a 67(2) 76(5) 76(12) victory in 2h, 37m. Both players are coming off three-set quarter-final wins on Thursday as Federer saved two match points in his 62 36 76(6) victory over Tomas Berdych, while Kyrgios beat #NextGenATP player Alexander Zverev 64 67(9) 63.
Federer, who won the 2005-06 Miami titles and reached the 2002 final, comes in with a nine-match winning streak and 17-1 record on the season, his best start since 2006 when he went 33-1. The 35-year-old superstar is appearing in his sixth Miami semi-final (3-2) and the first since 2011. Kyrgios is appearing in his second straight Miami semi-final and he’s the first Aussie to reach back-to-back semi-finals here since former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt’s three in a row from 2000-02. The 21-year-old Aussie has a 12-17 career record vs. Top 10 opponents, including 4-6 vs. the Big Four of Murray (0-5), Djokovic (2-0), Federer (1-0) and Nadal (1-1).
NEW NO. 1 IN DOUBLES: There will be a new No. 1 player in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings on Monday as 26-year-old Henri Kontinen of Finland will replace Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, who held the top spot every week since July 11, 2016. The Bryan brothers could have regained No. 1 by winning the title but they lost in the semi-finals to Monroe/Sock on Thursday. Kontinen is the 50th player to rank No. 1 in the history of the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings (since 1976). He closed last season by winning the ATP Finals title in London (w/Peers) and captured his first Grand Slam doubles crown at the Australian Open in January.
Roger Federer continued his stunning start to 2017 by reaching the Miami Open semi-finals with a dramatic win against Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych.
The 35-year-old Swiss survived two match points in the deciding tie-break before winning 6-2 3-6 7-6 (8-6).
Berdych double-faulted on Federer’s second match point to gift victory to the 18-time Grand Slam champion.
In the women’s draw, former world number one Caroline Wozniacki reached the final by beating Karolina Pliskova.
The Dane, ranked 14th in the world, dropped a gruelling 62-minute opening set against the Czech second seed before recovering to win 5-7 6-1 6-1.
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, who is seeded 12th, meets Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the fourth men’s quarter-final later on Thursday.
The winner will play Federer, who has now won 17 of his 18 matches this year, in the last four.
Federer, who claimed his first major for five years at the Australian Open in January, served for the match at 5-3 in the deciding set, only for Berdych to break to love and go on to force a deciding tie-break.
However, he choked at the crucial moment as his losing streak against Federer – which goes back to March 2013 – was extended to a seventh match.
Federer’s progression means a meeting with long-time rival Rafael Nadal in Sunday’s final remains a possibility.
Spain’s 14-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, who lost to Federer in Melbourne, recorded a 6-2 6-3 win over American Jack Sock to reach the last four.
He faces Italian Fabio Fognini, who became the first unseeded player in 10 years to make the semi-finals by beating Kei Nishikori.
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