Miami Open 2019: Federer rallies back to victory, Ferrer shocks Zverev
The men's singles matches in Miami Open are full of surprises as the top seeds are getting eliminated with each passing day. One of the early casualties yesterday was Marin Cilic who lost 6-4.6-4 to young Russian Andrey Rublev.
Rublev is all set to face Denis Shapovalov in the third round.
Along with Cilic, Stan Wawrinka lost to Serbia's Filip Krajinovic in an absolute thriller in the Hard Rock Stadium yesterday.
Wawrinka got off to a tremendous start in the first set, getting a 3-0 lead initially. But Krajinovic fought back and leveled the set, before the Swiss broke again in the 11th game to seal it 7-5.
In the second set, the actual problems started for Wawrinka as Krajinovic started to hit the ball more cleanly, winning it 6-2. Krajinovic was able to convert his break points successfully while also hitting more winners than Wawrinka.
In the third set, Wawrinka had the upper hand in the tie-breaker with a 5-2 lead. But his unforced errors at important times leveled the score at 5-5 and then another error offered a match point to the Serbian.
Krajinovic won the match 5-7, 6-2, 7-6.
Meanwhile, David Ferrer shocked second seed Alexander Zverev in the second round 2-6, 7-5, 6-3. Ferrer lost the first set but came back strongly in the second with some accurate baseline strokes.
Zverev once again exposed his vulnerabilities in the third set as Ferrer took complete advantage and won it 6-3. Ferrer's experience came to the fore when it mattered the most in the match.
Ferrer will now Frances Tiafoe in the third round.
Roger Federer survived a scare in the second round from Radu Albot as he defeated him 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a match that lasted over 2 hours.
Federer lost his first service game in the first set and was then unable to capitalize on the break points offered to him. Albot took advantage of that and won the first set 6-4.
The second set went neck-to-neck as neither of the players was able to force a break point. But Federer broke in the 11th game to take the set 7-5.
The momentum was with Federer in the third set as he played better tennis than the first two sets and took the match 6-3.
Significant results
1) David Ferrer def. Alexander Zverev
2) Andrey Rublev def. Marin Cilic
3) Stefanos Tsitsipas def. Mackenzie McDonald
4) Roger Federer def. Radu Albot
5) Grigor Dimitrov def. Feliciano Lopez.