Miami, March 27
A tenacious Roberto Bautista Agut battled back to beat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic 1-6 7-5 6-3 and advance to the quarterfinals of the Miami Open on Tuesday as the Spaniard claimed his second win over the Serb this year.
Six-times champion Djokovic blasted the 22nd seed off the court in the opening set but Bautista Agut grew more aggressive in the second, stepping in to take his second serves early and baiting his opponent into extended rallies.
The tide turned in Bautista Agut’s favour in the third when, after both players exchanged service breaks, an uncharacteristically sloppy Djokovic sent a backhand wide to fall behind 4-2.
Three games later Bautista Agut smacked a forehand winner down the line to seal the win, which was reminiscent of Bautista Agut’s come-from-behind victory over Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Qatar Open in January.
Next up for Bautista Agut is a quarterfinal date with defending champion John Isner, who was a 7-6(5) 7-6(3) winner over Britain’s Kyle Edmund earlier in the day.
Kyrgios in controversy again
Nick Kyrgios continued to mix the obscene with the sublime as he bowed out of the tournament at the hands of Borna Coric.
The Australian produced perhaps the shot of the tournament, an audacious ‘tweener’ that caught a flat-footed Coric off guard early in his 4-6 6-3 6-2 loss to the 11th seed.
Kyrgios was later given a point penalty for an audible obscenity, apparently directed at a spectator, that put him down a double break in the third. Kyrgios said he did not regret having a go at the spectator.
"I’m playing for two hours and 20 minutes, and a guy yells at me, like ‘play some tennis’," Kyrgios explained.
"I’m not going to take it...”
Up next for Coric will be a clash with 18-year-old Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat Georgian 17th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili 7-6(4) 6-4 to become the first qualifier to reach the last eight in Miami since Guillermo Canas in 2007.
Shapovalov beats Tsitsipas
Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-6 6-3 7-6(3) win over Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, the tournament’s eighth seed.
In a late night match that lasted over two hours, Shapovalov claimed only his second career win over an opponent in the top 10 in a ‘Next Gen’ battle.
With compatriot Auger-Aliassime also in the quarters, it is the first time in 12 years that two teenagers have reached this stage of the tournament, after Andy Murray and Djokovic accomplished the feat as 19-year-olds in 2007.
Shapovalov will take on American Frances Tiafoe in the next round.
Kontaveit ends Hsieh’s run
Anett Kontaveit brought Taiwan giant-killer Hsieh Su-wei’s Miami Open run to a dramatic end with a 3-6 6-2 7-5 comeback win to become the first player through to the semifinals.
For a place in the final she will face Ashleigh Barty, after the Australian beat Petra Kvitova 7-6(6) 3-6 6-2 in a night match that stretched into the wee hours of Wednesday morning following a long rain delay. — Reuters
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