By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, April 1, 2021
Hubert Hurkacz flipped a history of futility vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas, toppling the second-seeded Greek 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first Masters semifinal in Miami.
Photo credit: Miami Open Facebook
Scanning a draw devoid of the Big 3 prompted Stefanos Tsitsipas to brand the Miami Open an opportunity Masters before the tournament began.
Hubert Hurkacz used a fantastic flick to make the most of the moment.
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Down a set and 0-2, Hurkacz conjured a brilliant backhand pass to ignite a comeback.
The flick helped flip a history of futility vs. Tsitsipas as Hurkacz surprised the second-seeded Greek 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first Masters semifinal at the Miami Open.
Carrying an ignominious 1-6 career record vs. Tsitsipas onto court, Hurkacz played with more poise on pivotal points scoring his third straight Top 5 win becoming the first Pole to reach a Masters semifinal.
"I was trying to stay competitive; I knew if I'm going to start to make those shots that I was just missing I can turn it around," Hurkacz told Tennis Channel's Prakash Amritraj afterward. "So I was staying calm and positive in my mind. Obviously, the quarterfinals of a Masters series you're going to try your best and stay positive and that's what I did."
A day after seventh-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut sent top-seeded Daniil Medvedev packing in a quarterfinal sweep, Hurkacz, who lives and trains in Florida, mastered the conditions and pressure with calm downs the stretch while Tsitsipas suffered from a few sloppy patches that proved costly.
The second seed conceded Hurkacz flick completely changed the complexion of the match.
"Nothing to say. I didn't have trouble. I was feeling quite well today," Tsitsipas said. "I think I played unbelievable tennis until that point, 6-2, 3-1 up, going for a double break like nothing could stop me. And then suddenly that one shot changed the whole psychology of the match.
"Nothing to say. I think I would have done much better this week but it didn't happen. Great for Hurkacz who did what he had to do in order to beat me, but I feel like there was a lost opportunity that shouldn't have happened today. Definitely not. It should have been my way. It should have been my win."
Hurkacz hammered 15 aces and denied 10 of 13 break points and scored the crucial break in the fifth game of the final set.
This win sends the Delray Beach champion into the semifinals vs. either fourth-seeded Andrey Rublev or 20-year-old Floridian Sebastian Korda. Former world No. 28 Hurkacz will return to the Top 30 as well.
"You try to improve, you try to get better," Hurkacz said. "Obviously having the ranking that I have now is not satisfying to me. I just want to keep winning and keep improving I believe if I keep improving my game I can win maybe some of those big events."
This is a big event Tsitsipas thought he could win in the absence of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and 20-time Grand Slam champions Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Both Medvedev and Tsitsipas learned life as a leading seed in a Masters carries a different type of pressure. Tsitsipas was left ruing lost opportunity.
"I was very stressed these two weeks. Especially this week I was feeling very stressed," Tsitsipas said. "I felt like it was my opportunity. You know, I could have...I did quite well, but I feel like there was more space for me to show something greater.
"It's a disappointing loss. It's a very disappointing loss. It left out of my hands. I grabbed it. It was there. Everything was under control. And suddenly, I don't know, self-explosion."
Understandably tight at the occasion, Hurkacz scattered a few backhands to gift the break in the opening game.
The second-seeded Tsitsipas saved three break points guarding the break with vigilance.
A clever drop shot brought Tsitsipas three set points and he flashed a serve winner out wide sealing the 40-minute opener with his second love hold.
The first Polish man to play the Miami quarterfinals howled in angst scattering a series of sloppy errors to donate the break to start the second set.
Blocking back returns and using the slice chip to make the 6'5" Hurkacz scrape low balls back, Tsitsipas pressure again with a pair of break points in the third game. Hurkacz partnered Felix Auger-Aliassime to win the Rolex Paris Masters doubles title last fall and showed soft hands in a crucial spot.
Streaking up to a drop shot, Hurkacz flicked a phenomenal backhand pass erupting with a "Vamos!" That slick shot helped him hold in the third game.
Positive emotion energized Hurkacz, who rattled the Greek's Wilson racquet with a return breaking back in the fourth game to knot the set after an hour.
Elevating amid double-break point stress in the seventh game, Hurkacz dotted the sideline with a forehand and fired a 120 mph ace erasing both break points eventually holding for 4-3.
An ornery Tsitsipas, perhaps still ruing opportunity lost in the prior game, lost the plot spraying a few forehands then spewing some F-bombs as he played his sloppiest game handing Hurkacz the break and a 5-3 lead.
Slashing successive aces and sliding an angled forehand drop shot, Hurkacz closed the second set in style sending this quarter into a decider after 87 minutes. For their sixth straight showdown the pair would head to a third set.
Throughout the first set, Hurkacz had narrowly missed some flat backhand strikes down the line. He kept hammering away and his two-hander down the line helped him earn the first break point of the final set. The world No. 37 lifted a looping lob to test his opponent's nerve. Tsitsipas' normally rock-solid smash splattered wide giving Hurkacz the break and a 3-2 lead.
Though Tsitsipas earned a break back point in the ensuing game he framed a forehand. Hurkacz dodged the trouble and threw down a 123 mph ace holding for 4-2.
Timely serving propelled Hurkacz through stress as he smacked his 15th ace out wide holding for 5-3.
As a cluster of thick threatening clouds hovered over Grandstand Court, Hurkacz hurled down the thunder a 136 mph bolt to end career breakthrough in two hours, 20 minutes.