Jannik Sinner is one victory from a rare Sunshine Double after defeating Alexander Zverev to reach the Miami Open final.
JANNIK Sinner moved to the brink of a historic ‘Sunshine Double’ by defeating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4) in the Miami Open semi-finals on Friday. The world number two will now face Czech Jiri Lehecka in Sunday’s final, where a win would see him become the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to win both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season.
Sinner sealed the victory with a powerful serve that Zverev could not return, prompting a triumphant “Let’s go!” from the Italian. The win marked his 16th consecutive Masters 1000 match victory, extending a remarkable run of form.
“It has been an incredible swing,” said the four-time Grand Slam champion. “I’ve been trying to play as many matches as possible and I couldn’t do any better. Today was a very tough encounter, he played some incredible tennis, but I was serving very well, especially in the end and in the crucial moments.”
Earlier, Jiri Lehecka reached his first Masters 1000 final by dismantling France’s Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-2 in just 75 minutes. The 24-year-old Czech broke his 21-year-old opponent early and maintained control throughout the match.
Fils struggled with consistency, committing 21 unforced errors to Lehecka’s 14. “I’m very excited that I’m in a final, definitely one of my goals, but at the same time it’s just a sport, there are more important things going on in the world right now,” Lehecka said. “I’m just trying to do what I do best.”
A potential double Sunshine Double could be completed this year. In the women’s draw, world number one and Indian Wells champion Aryna Sabalenka will face Coco Gauff for the Miami title on Saturday.