Medvedev wins Miami Open for fourth title in 2023

Russian Daniil Medvedev claimed his fourth ATP title of the year with an emphatic victory over Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the final of the Miami Open yesterday.
Sinner had upset world number one Carlos Alcaraz in Friday’s semi-final but the 21-year-old struggled in the heat against the fourth seed Medvedev, who triumphed 7-5, 6-3.
The win was Medvedev’s 19th career ATP title and his fifth in a Masters 1000 event and confirmed his dominance on hard courts in 2023.
“I’m really happy. Today was a tough match. It was probably the hottest day and the most humid during the day,” Medvedev said.
“It was not easy conditions. I don’t know if Jannik had a small injury or cramp. I was also struggling, tried not to show it.
“I haven’t won’t such a big title in probably a year and a half,” he added, not having tasted Masters 1000 glory since he won Toronto in 2021.
“At the end I was quite shaky. Not even tight, because I’m not scared to win. But still the hands get a little shaky so the serve is a little bit tougher... I managed to get myself together and close the match,” he added.
The Russian, who had already won titles at Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai, started confidently, holding serve to love while Sinner’s first service game was a real battle.
Sinner had to save a break point and fought through a 26-shot rally before coming through at the end of a 10-minute game.
In contrast, Medvedev again served to love but Sinner was showing signs of settling as he held his serve and then the Italian broke Medvedev to go 3-2 up, with a deft touch volley.
Medvedev immediately broke back, however, with Sinner’s effort clipping the net and going out and after the Russian held again, the Italian had attention from the ATP trainer.
Sinner, looking uncomfortable in the bright sunshine, took a pill along with a powder in his water in the 87F (30.5C) heat.
Medvedev, looking composed and confident, grabbed the first set when Sinner was serving at 6-5 down and the Italian’s poor shot into the net handed the Russian the crucial break.
Medvedev quickly got ahead in the second set when Sinner sent a forehand long but just as quickly handed the break back to Sinner.
But Sinner was making too many errors and when Medvedev broke again to go 3-1 up in the second set, the Italian was unable to turn things around and the world number five coolly completed his first ever win in Miami.
The victory extends Medvedev’s lead in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin to 600 points ahead of Novak Djokovic, putting him in pole position in the race for year-end No 1.
He will also move up to No 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings today.
Kvitova upsets Rybakina to win first Miami Open title
Petra Kvitova turned back the clock to upset Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina 7-6(14) 6-2 to win her first Miami Open crown and ninth WTA 1000 title.
The veteran Czech player, seeded 15th, ended an epic, 22-minute first set tiebreak by converting her fifth set point when 10th-seeded Rybakina’s forehand landed in the net.
The powerful left-hander then swung freely in the second, racing out to a 3-0 lead and breaking the hard-serving Rybakina for a third time on match point.
The 33-year-old Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014 and who had recently contemplated retirement, put her hands on her head in astonishment when Rybakina’s forehand sailed long to seal the win.
She then went over to her box to embrace her fiance, former Czech player Jiri Vanek.
Kvitova, who fended off five set points in the see-saw tiebreak, said capturing it was the key to the match.
“The tiebreak, oh my God, it was probably the longest in my career and somehow I managed it,” she said.
“She had so many aces at the beginning of the tiebreak that I couldn’t even play. So it was really difficult and amazing.”
The loss ended Indian Wells champion Rybakina’s bid for the ‘Sunshine Double’ and snapped the reigning Wimbledon champion’s 13-match winning streak.
Rybakina’s 12 aces were offset by 24 unforced errors, and she won fewer than half of her second serve points.
By winning her 30th career title, the former world number two Kvitova will now re-enter the top 10 for the first time since September 2021.
High-stakes matches tend to bring out her best and she improved to 30 wins and 11 losses in finals.
“I love trophies, so that’s probably why,” she said when asked how she raises her game in big matches.
“I love playing finals, I love playing deeper in the tournament. That’s what I love the most about tennis. I love the game itself, I love the fight.
“I love the mental side of it as well, when you really have to think - what should you play, what shouldn’t you play.”
She said she would not change her expectations after the triumph.
“I don’t have any goals. My goal was always to have one title in a season, so I’m already done!” she said with a laugh.