M 1000 MIAMI OEN . By Emiliano Naftali
Francisco Cerúndolo (ATP No. 24) and Grigor Dimitrov (No. 15) played a thrilling match that ended with a victory for the Bulgarian, 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (3), securing his spot in the Miami Open semifinals.
It was a true battle between two fierce competitors who gave it their all for nearly three hours. In the first set, the older of the Cerúndolo brothers managed to escape from Dimitrov’s grasp, saving five set points before claiming the tiebreak. However, in the following two sets, Dimitrov used his years of experience on tour to his advantage, staying composed and conserving energy by playing his points strategically.
The key to the former world No. 3’s success can also be seen in the numbers: he totaled 30 winners and 46 unforced errors compared to Cerúndolo’s 31 winners and 43 errors. While the statistics might seem to contradict the final result, the 33-year-old from Haskovo prevailed in total points, winning 115 to 108.
Dimitrov will now face the winner of the match between Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and the United States’ Sebastian Korda. The two were originally scheduled to play on Wednesday, but due to scheduling changes, their match has been moved to Thursday afternoon.