MIAMI – Hubert Hurkacz saved five match points as he fought back to beat Thanasi Kokkinakis in a 3½-hour epic, while fourth seed Daniil Medvedev got his Miami Open bid under way with an easy win on Saturday.
Hurkacz was pushed all the way by the Australian lucky loser before emerging with a 6-7 (10-12), 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6) victory.
Kokkinakis had shown his mettle by saving six set points as he won the first-set tiebreak and Hurkacz, the 2021 Miami champion, saved three match points in the second-set tiebreak and another two in the final-set tiebreak.
“It’s tough to explain for me. I was just trying to stay in there and compete, play some good shots,” said Hurkacz, the eighth seed at Hard Rock Stadium.
Kokkinakis was on serve at 6-4 up in the final-set tiebreak but Hurkacz produced a stunning winner up the line and that shot finally turned the tide decisively towards the Pole, who won the next three points to settle the contest.
The 3hr 31min contest was the longest best-of-three ATP match of 2023 so far.
In contrast, Indian Wells runner-up Medvedev barely broke sweat in beating Spanish clay-court specialist Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1, 6-2 in just 62 minutes.
The Russian’s loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells final had ended his 19-match winning streak, but he was totally dominant as he struck 15 winners to Baena’s four.
Medvedev also made use of the drop shot, which Alcaraz had used to good effect against him last week, and joked that he had been trying to emulate the world No. 1.
“I thought I needed to use that shot more. I’ve always liked drop shots but it’s not a weapon in my game that I’m going to use 50 times a match,” he said.
Medvedev became the first player to reach 25 wins this season on either the ATP or WTA tours.
In the women’s draw, Elena Rybakina kept her Sunshine Double hopes alive as she battled from the brink to beat Paula Badosa in the third round on Saturday, while Russian Anastasia Potapova upset sixth seed Coco Gauff 6-7 (8-10), 7-5, 6-2.
Wimbledon champion Rybakina, fresh off her Indian Wells triumph last week, calmly saved a match point on serve in the second set and fired 60 winners, including a dozen aces, as she earned a gutsy 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win.
“It didn’t start well in the first set but in the end I just found some energy,” the Kazakh said. “I was trying to push more on the serve and started to move better on the court. It was a really tough battle.”
Meanwhile, third seed Jessica Pegula made quick work of her fellow American Danielle Collins 6-1, 7-6 (7-0). She will meet Pole Magda Linette for a place in the quarter-finals. AFP, REUTERS
