Tennis player Petra Kvitová advanced to the finals for the first time in her career at the tournament in Miami. In her 13th start in Florida, she beat Romanian Sorana Cirstea 7:5, 6:4 in the semifinals and will play for the title with reigning Wimbledon champion Jelena Rybakin from Kazakhstan, who is aiming for the so-called Sunshine Double after her triumph at the previous tournament in Indian Wells.
The two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitová, who already improved her maximum at the local tournament by participating in the semi-finals, was once again able to handle the critical moments excellently. Although she was the first to lose serve in the opening set and was already losing 2:5, she was able to turn the score around by winning five games in a row. In the ninth game, she averted two set points on her opponent’s serve and won the set in 58 minutes.
Thirty-three-year-old Kvitová entered the second set with another break. In total, the tournament fifteen won seven games in a row, took the lead 2:0 and already kept the lead. She defeated an opponent a month younger, who had knocked out the Czechs Karolína Muchová and Markéta Vondroušová in the previous rounds of the tournament, for the seventh time in their eleventh match.
Kvitova will face reigning Wimbledon champion Rybakin, who is currently on a 13-match winning streak, for the third time. Both players have a 1:1 record so far, the last match at this year’s tournament in Adelaide was won by the Czech representative.
In the Russian men’s semifinal, Daniil Medvedev defeated his friend Karen Khachanov 7:6, 3:6, 6:3 to advance to his fifth consecutive ATP Tour final. In it, on Sunday, he will meet the winner of the match between the world number one Carlos Alcaraz from Spain and the Italian Jannik Sinner.
Medvedev, the fifth ranked player, lost a set with his peer and opponent since junior years, Khačanov, for the first time in Miami, but he continued to improve his best in Florida. The semifinal was already his best result so far at this tournament.
Before Miami, Medvedev won titles in Doha, Rotterdam and Dubai, and crashed only in the final of the previous major tournament in Indian Wells at Alcaraz.
Miami Men’s and Women’s Tennis Tournament (Hard Court):
Men ($10.2 million endowment):
Singles – Quarter Finals:
Alcaraz (1-Sp.) – Fritz (8-USA) 6:4, 6:2.
Semi-final:
Medvedev (4-Russia) – Khachanov (14-Russia) 7:6 (7:5), 3:6, 6:3.
Women ($8.8 million endowment):
Singles – Semifinals:
Kvitova (15-CR) – Cirsteaová (Romania) 7:5, 6:4.
