Defending champion Medvedev eases into Miami quarter-finals

Defending champion Daniil Medvedev, the No 3 seed, beat German Dominik Koepfer 7-6 (5), 6-0 to move into the quarter-finals of the Miami Masters at the Hard Rock Stadium on Tuesday.

Medvedev, ranked No 4, will face Chilean Nicolas Jarry, the No 22 seed, next.

The 28-year-old, has now reached the quarter-finals or better in each of the past four years. He beat Jannik Sinner in the final 12 months ago.

First-set tiebreak the key

Medvedev trailed 4-0 in the opening-set tiebreak but recovered well to take it, before pulling away in the second, the disappointment of letting slip that lead hurting Koepfer, mentally.

“I think sometimes it happens, when you lose the first set the way he lost it,” Medvedev said of the scoreline. “He played very good, probably was closer to winning it because of the 4-0 in the tie-break and when you lose such a set, especially when the points were tough, it brings your energy down.

“I knew I had to use that in the beginning of the second set. That’s why it was the most important and I managed to do it. Sometimes that happens, but the level was high today.”

The Russian beat Hungarian Marton Fucsovics (6-4, 6-2) and No 30 seed Cameron Norrie (7-5, 6-1) ahead of his victory.

In the previous rounds of the Miami Open, Koepfer, ranked No 50, defeated American Marcos Giron (4-6, 6-1, 6-4), Argentinian Sebastian Baez, the No 18 seed (6-3, 6-2) and Frenchman Ugo Humbert, the No 14 seed (3-6, 6-4, 6-3).

Miami Masters 1000, other round of 16 results (Hard Rock Stadium, hard, USD 10,404,205):

• Tomas Machac beat Matteo Arnaldi: 6-3, 6-3
• Alexander Zverev vs. Karen Khachanov
• Alex De Minaur vs. Fabian Marozsan
• Grigor Dimitrov vs. Hubert Hurkacz
• Carlos Alcaraz vs. Lorenzo Musetti
• Christopher O’Connell vs. Jannik Sinner
• Casper Ruud vs. Nicolas Jarry

You might also like this

“I have to find the balance” – Medvedev on new approach to life and tennis as a father

tennis majors

“I don’t understand how I lost”: De Minaur on playing Medvedev in his first final

tennis majors

Two years on — how Medvedev has used Australian Open defeat as impetus

tennis majors

Major Talk #16 – Gilles Cervara, being on a rope with TNT in the hands

tennis majors