Grigor Dimitrov (No. 12 in ATP Ranking) The downfall of the favorite occurred at the Miami Open. An hour and a half after the match Carlos Alcaraz defeated (II) 6-2 and 6-4, ending his streak since Indian Wells to reach the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time in his career. next to, He was one step away from returning to the top ten.
Alcaraz, number one for the first time at the end of 2022 and owner of 13 titles, arrived in Miami with a logical motivation provided by a dedication like Indian Wells after long months without standing on definition (Cincinnati 2023 vs. Djokovic). .
In Florida, he increased his chances of winning the Sunshine Double with performances over Roberto Carballes Baena (6-2, 6-1), Gael Monfils (6-2, 6-4) and Lorenzo Musetti (6-3, 6-3). .
If he had beaten Dimitrov he would have reached his ninth M1000 semifinal (6-2 record in that case). In this category it has 5 titles in front: Miami, Madrid (2), Indian Wells (2). The Bulgarian level in the quarter-finals prevented the Murcia from getting close to the double of Indian Wells and Miami known as the Sunshine double.
Dimitrov, ranked third in the world in 2017 and a nine-time champion on the ATP Tour, started the season by winning the 250 in Brisbane. He later added decisive cases in Marseille and Rotterdam.
In Miami he overcame challenges proposed by Alejandro Tabelo (6-7, 7-6 and 6-2), Jannik Hanfmann (6-1, 6-0) and Hubert Hurkacz (3-6, 6-3 and 7-6). ). The win over Alcaraz opened the door to his 11th M1000 semifinal (2-8 record). Her class title: 2017 Cincinnati.
With the performances against Hurkacz and Alcaraz, The 32-year-old tennis player has achieved wins outside the top 10 for the first time since winning the ATP Finals in 2017.
In the semi-finals, he will face Alexander Zverev (fifth). The German is driving face to face With seven victories compared to one for the Bulgarian. By winning that match and qualifying for the grand final, Dimitrov will ensure a return to the top 10 for the first time since 2018.
The Miami Open can be followed live on STAR+ for all of Latin America.
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