Sinner reaches Miami Open final against Dimitrov
Jannik Sinner needed only 69 minutes to breeze past defending champion Daniil Medvedev and reach the Miami Open final. Second seed Sinner dominated a one-sided semi-final and swept aside Russian Medvedev 6-1 6-2.
The match was a repeat of January’s Australian Open final, which Italian Sinner, 22, won in five sets. He will face Grigor Dimitrov in the final after the Bulgarian beat Alexander Zverev 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-4.
Sinner has only lost one match so far this season, falling to a last-four defeat at Indian Wells two weeks ago to eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz, and if he wins in Florida he will move up one place in the world rankings to number two – replacing the Spanish double Grand Slam champion.
“I felt great on court. I served very well, especially in important moments,” Sinner told Sky Sports.
“I handled the situation well in the beginning of each set. [Medvedev] had some break chances – if he makes them then it’s already much different, so I’m very happy.”
World number four Medvedev – who beat Sinner last year to lift the Miami title – made 22 unforced errors during the match and was jeered by the crowd inside the Hard Rock Stadium after two wild mistakes in the second set. Dimitrov’s win over fourth-seeded German Zverev, which follows his victory over Alcaraz in the last eight, is set to see him climb back into the world’s top 10 for the first time since 2018.
“I think the consistency of beating top players, that to me is a bigger success than anything else,” said the 32-year-old.
“If you do that, you get the ranking. If you do that, things are just getting better for you. I think the discipline brought me to this moment. There is nothing else. I didn’t kind of deviate from my target”.
“I had small targets throughout – every single week I had a target, and also to be able to put my body through all that on a daily basis was also very important for me. When you start putting all that together, I think it’s what I’m most proud of.”
- BBC