MIAMI.- The Italian Jannik Sinner He gave another tennis lesson this Thursday against the American Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals of the tournament Miamiwhere the local gem Coco Gauff She entered the women’s final for the first time.
Sinner, world number two, only needed 71 minutes to get rid of Tiafoe (20) by a double 6-2.
From the opening game, in which he broke Tiafoe’s serve, the Italian displayed overwhelming tennis with 14 aces (4 for his rival) and without conceding a single break ball.
Sinner also hit 33 winners, to seven of his opponent, to extend his extraordinary streak of 15 consecutive victories without giving up a set in Masters 1000 tournaments.
In Miami, where he was champion in 2024, he has been undefeated in 10 straight games, since last year he was absent from the competition due to a suspension for his double positive for clostebol.
Winner this month of Indian Wells Masters 1000Sinner is just two steps away from completing the double of titles known as Sunshine Doublewhich no one has achieved in men’s tennis since Roger Federer in 2017.
His next opponent came from the last quarterfinal match, between the German Alexander Zverev and the Argentine Francisco Cerúndolowho was fighting to get among the four best in Miami as he did in 2022.
The French Arthur Fils and the czech Jiri Lehecka They are already scheduled for the semi-finals on Friday.
Although Miami is fertile ground for surprises, Sinner remains the absolute favorite in an edition of which Carlos Alcaraz He was eliminated early and did not attend Novak Djokovic due to injury.
The transalpine sharpened his devastating tennis even more against Tiafoe, the last American racket that was still in the fray and executioner on Monday of the last champion, the Czech Jakub Mensik.
“When you start with a break in your favor, that already gives you a little bit of confidence,” Sinner said. “Mentally there can be ups and downs on both sides, so I try to stay very calm and take advantage of the opportunities I have. I think that was the key today.”
Gauff waits for Sabalenka or Rybakina
In the WTA 1000, the American Coco Gauff She was the first to secure her place in the final thanks to a resounding victory over the Czech Karolina Muchova for a double 6-1.
At 22, Gauff will be the youngest American finalist in the competition since Serena Williams in 2003.
Raised in Delray Beach, on the outskirts of Miami, Gauff had never gone past the round of 16 in front of her audience and this year she did not seem to be at her best either, after retiring in the third round of Indian Wells due to an injury to her left arm.
“Honestly, I thought I wasn’t going to play this tournament,” she revealed after her victory against Muchova. “But one day I woke up and said to myself, ‘I have to try to play if I’m healthy.'”
“If there was a tournament that was going to give me back my joy and rhythm, I felt it would be this one, being at home, surrounded by my family and with people supporting me,” said the current women’s champion. Roland Garros by thanking the stands for their support.
To overcome the first four eliminators Gauff needed to reach the tiebreaker set, but this Thursday she raised her performance against Muchova.
After giving up a break in the opening game, the American chained 10 consecutive games to take the first set and take a 4-0 lead in the second, before beamingly celebrating the victory.
Her rival in the final will be the winner of this Thursday’s reunion between the two best tennis players of the moment: the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenkadefending champion, and the Kazakh Elena Rybakina.
In January, Rybakina defeated Sabalenka in the final of the Australian Openwhile the Belarusian hit back less than two weeks ago for the Indian Wells title.
Like Sinner, Sabalenka is also two steps away from completing the “Sunshine Double,” which only four players have achieved in the past.
