Miami Open 2022: 3 things that stood out in Hubert Hurkacz's QF win against Daniil Medvedev
Defending champion and Hubert Hurkacz stunned top seed Daniil Medvedev 7-6(7), 6-3 to advance to the semifinals of the Miami Open.
Medvedev fought well in a pulsating first set, but ran out of gas in the second, handing the Pole his 10th consecutive victory in Miami.
Hurkacz will face Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals.
And STILL 🇵🇱
Defending champion @HubertHurkacz extends his winning streak in Miami to a perfect 10 matches - taking out Medvedev 7-6(7) 6-3!
#MiamiOpen https://t.co/iwkJQylHsf
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On that note, here's a look at the three things that stood out in Hurkacz's victory against Medvedev.
#1 Hurkacz raced out of the blocks
Hurkacz won the first three games of the opening set inside seven minutes to stun the Russian. The big-serving Pole broke Medvedev in the second game of the match and consolidated with an easy hold.
Medvedev appeared rattled at the start as he committed a few uncharacteristic unforced errors. Although the Russian grew into the set as it progressed, he struggled to make inroads into Hurkacz's service games.
Medvedev was forced to save two set points in the eighth game and that inspired him as he broke back in the following game. The first set went into a tie-break and Hurkacz was once again quick off the blocks as he took a 3-1 lead.
However, the Pole let the Russian off the hook and Medvedev leveled the score. A rather fortuitous forehand gave Hurkacz yet another set point and this time he made no mistake, firing down a huge serve to seal the opener.
#2 Hurkacz's tactic to rush the net paid dividends
Hurkacz at times struggled to stay in the longer rallies from the baseline and adopted the strategy of coming to the net to shorten the points. The Pole has a great touch at the net and it was unsurprising to see him play deft volleys that caught Medvedev off guard.
He also made sure to pull the trigger whenever he got the opportunity.
#3 Medvedev ran out of steam in the second set
Hurkacz earned the decisive break in the fifth game and maintained his advantage over the rest of the set. Medvedev also appeared to struggle physically and complained of dizziness towards the end of the match.
The Russian also looked exhausted at the end of the longer exchanges, which came as a surprise considering he is one of the fittest players on tour.
His physical struggles contributed to his poor serving display. Medvedev had a first-serve ratio of 52% and committed six double faults in the match. The Russian, who had been broken only twice in the tournament prior to the quarterfinals, faced a staggering 14 break points against Hurkacz and was broken thrice.