(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Top seed Stan Wawrinka crashed out of the Miami Open on Tuesday falling 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to German young gun Alexander Zverev, who booked his first Masters 1000 quarter-final. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori advanced to the quarter-finals on cue.
But Wawrinka, beaten by fellow Swiss Federer in the final of Indian Wells earlier this month, looked weary as he struggled through the third set of a match played on his 32nd birthday. 'I had one bad game to start the second set and then it was tough for me, Wawrinka, the reigning US Open champion, said.
'I don't know. I completely went down physically and mentally, and also my tennis was completely out. I had no more gas. For sure it's a disappointing match. I think the level was quite up and down. We were both fighting a little bit in the first set to find good level. It was really humid, not easy to play some great tennis, he added.
The 19-year-old Zverev saved four of five break points and won 75 per cent of his service points. 'I had to be aggressive. I felt like he was the one controlling all the points all the time, so I had to change that. It worked out well for me, Zverev said. The German, seeded 16th, will now face Australian Nick Kyrgios, who was impressive in a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 win over Belgian David Goffin.
Federer had to work hard for his victory against 14th seed Roberto Bautista Agut, emerging with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) win setting up a last eight meeting with Czech Tomas Berdych, the 10th seed, a 6-3, 7-5 winner over France's Adrian Mannarino.
The first set was a close and entertaining battle. Bautista broke to go 5-4 up but Federer then won every point in the next two games. The tie-break saw some fantastic tennis from both players but the Swiss delivered at the close.
Nadal beat France's Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in a tightly fought contest and will face American Jack Sock who comfortably beat his compatriot Jared Donaldson 6-2, 6-1. The Spaniard, who has never won the Miami title, got the only break of the match to go 5-4 up in the first set.
Second-seed Nishikori, of Japan, survived a second set scare against Argentine Federico del Bonis en route to a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Nishikori, who lost to Novak Djokovic in last year's Miami final, will face Italian Fabio Fognini, who defeated American Donald Young 6-0 6-4.
Meanwhile, Czech second-seed Karolina Pliskova will face Caroline Wozniacki in the semi-finals in the women's side after the pair triumphed at Key Biscayne. A confident Pliskova ended the hopes of Croat veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni with a 6-3, 6-4 win while Wozniacki made sure there would be no all-Czech semi by dispatching Lucie Safarova 6-4. 6-3. Lucic-Baroni has been enjoying a late career upturn in fortunes at the age of 35 and in January reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open — 18 years after her previous appearance in the last four of a Slam, in 1999 at Wimbledon.
In Miami she put out fifth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the previous round but the confident and in-form Pliskova proved to be a test too far.The win was sweet revenge for Pliskova who had lost to the Croat in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January. The other quarter-finals sees third-seed Simona Halep of Romania take on Britain's Johanna Konta while world number one Angelique Kerber faces local favuorite and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.
Results
Women's Quarter-finals: Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x12) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE) 6-4, 6-3; Karolina Pliskova (CZE) bt Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) 6-3, 6-4
Men's 4th rd: Alexander Zverev (GER x16) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x1) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Nick Kyrgios (AUS x12) bt David Goffin (BEL x8) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3; Roger Federer (SUI x4) bt Roberto Bautista (ESP x14) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4); Tomas Berdych (CZE x10) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-3, 7-5; Rafael Nadal (ESP x5) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4); Jack Sock (USA x13) bt Jared Donaldson (USA) 6-2, 6-1; Fabio Fognini (ITA) bt Donald Young (USA) 6-0, 6-4; Kei Nishikori (JPN x2) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
MENAFN2903201700670000ID1095354662
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.