TIE-BREAKFAST - 03/27 Miami Open

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Today is Friday, March 27, in Miami it's 3:30 AM and it's 22 degrees. Alright, let's go.

Today at breakfast

• 🇮🇹 Sinner demolishes Tiafoe in 71 minutes and closes in on the Sunshine Double
• 🇺🇸 Gauff crushes Muchova 6-1 6-1: first Miami final, youngest American since 2003
• 🇩🇪 Zverev dispatches Cerundolo and faces Sinner in the semis after six straight losses
• 🇧🇾 Sabalenka dominates Rybakina and reaches Gauff in the final
• 🇫🇷 Fils-Lehecka and Sinner-Zverev: the men's semifinals kick off Friday

WHAT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT:

🇮🇹 Sinner Doesn't Stop: Tiafoe Beaten 6-2 6-2

Jannik Sinner eliminated Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 6-2 in 71 minutes, with 33 winners against 15 unforced errors and four breaks in the eight service games played by the American. Sinner hasn't dropped a set in the entire tournament, extending his streak of consecutive sets won at Masters 1000 events to 30, a record that surpasses Djokovic's 24.

More than the match itself, which was never in doubt, what stands out is the way Sinner is moving through this tournament: with a lightness that seems almost deliberate, but that is probably the result of a level of form that leaves little room for doubt. "I know that he might be slightly tired, so I tried to make it as physical as possible," he said after the match, and the feeling is that right now he can read matches with a timing that makes everything simpler than it actually is.

🇺🇸 Gauff In The Miami Final, Like Serena Twenty-Three Years Ago

Coco Gauff beat Karolina Muchova 6-1, 6-1 in one hour and twenty minutes, winning twelve of the last thirteen games after conceding an early break. Six breaks in six service games from the Czech, 17 winners and 12 unforced errors against Muchova's 37: numbers that tell the story of a one-sided match.

At twenty-two, Gauff becomes the youngest American to reach the Miami final since Serena Williams in 2003, a stat that matters most because of how she got there. The 6-0 head-to-head record against Muchova speaks to more than just technical superiority, and the feeling is that the forehand she's been working on in recent months is starting to become a real weapon. "I think it's not obviously fully clicked, but I think it is clicking," she said herself, with the kind of clarity that often says more than enthusiastic declarations.

🇩🇪 Zverev Crushes Cerundolo And Faces Sinner Again

Alexander Zverev beat Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour, with 76% of first serves in and 84% of first serve points won. Cerundolo, who had eliminated Medvedev in the third round and then Humbert in the round of 16, never got into the match, winning just 35% of points on Zverev's second serve.

The win is convincing but must be read in the context of what comes next. Zverev hasn't beaten Sinner since September 2023, six consecutive losses that include the Indian Wells semifinal two weeks ago. "What hurt me the most against him in Indian Wells was the serve, I served horribly. That will be the most important aspect, although I basically need to have a perfect day," the German admitted, with an awareness that resembles more of a statement of intent than a surrender.

🇧🇾 Sabalenka Handles Rybakina And Flies Into The Final

Aryna Sabalenka beat Elena Rybakina 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and nineteen minutes, with 9 aces and 83% of first serve points won. Tenth win in seventeen head-to-head encounters, her twenty-first of the season, the best record on tour.

In a rivalry that has accustomed us to hard-fought matches, this was an exception. Sabalenka took advantage of the Kazakh's errors in the first set and then raced ahead 4-0 in the second, never giving the impression she could be caught. "I really enjoy our rivalry. She's an incredible player, always pushing me to the limit," she said afterwards, with the respect of someone who knows the next encounter could tell a completely different story. She faces Gauff in the final, in what promises to be an extremely high-level match.

WHAT'S ON TODAY:

• Lehecka vs Fils (3:00 PM local, 9:00 PM CET) — ATP Semifinal. A first Masters 1000 final up for grabs for both. Fils arrives after saving four match points against Paul, Lehecka after a more straightforward run. Fils leads 2-1 in head-to-head, including a 6-3 6-3 in Doha last month, but accumulated fatigue could take its toll.
• Sinner vs Zverev (7:00 PM local, 1:00 AM CET) — ATP Semifinal. Sinner leads 7-4 in head-to-head and has won the last six. The Sunshine Double, a feat not achieved since Federer in 2017, goes through here. Zverev knows he needs to serve better than at Indian Wells, but Sinner's current level seems to leave very narrow margins.
• Errani/Paolini vs Mertens/Zhang (8:00 PM local, 2:00 AM CET) — WTA Doubles Semifinal. The Italian pair, seeded number 1 in the tournament, are looking for a spot in the final.

Further reading

• ATP Miami: Cerundolo nowhere to be seen, Zverev faces Sinner in the semis
• Zverev explains what he needs to do to defeat Sinner in Miami
• ATP Miami, Friday March 27 schedule: Sinner at midnight
• Tennis, Miami Open: Sinner dominates Tiafoe and advances to the semifinal
• Sabalenka delivers commanding victory over Rybakina to reach second straight Miami final

Enjoy your breakfast and have a great day.

See you tomorrow at 08:30 AM with TIE-Breakfast