Federer to play 23rd final with Nadal at Miami Open
MIAMI: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will play their 23rd final on Sunday after they defeated Australia’s Nick Kyrgios and Italy’s Fabio Fognini respectively in the semi-finals of the Miami Masters 1000 tennis championships here on Friday.
Federer and Kyrgios, 21, were on Friday played an intense match that was decided in three tiebreakers, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, while Nadal registered a confidence-boosting 6-1, 7-5 victory over Fognini to march into his fifth Miami final, reports Efe.
The Australian’s force and momentum forced Federer to remain on the central court at Crandon Park for more than three hours, which could prove to be decisive during his final against Nadal.
Kyrgios increased pressure on Federer and broke his serve in the seventh game, after several errors on the Swiss player’s part.
Later, in the next game, Kyrgios opted for two powerful serves that misfired, leading to a double fault that allowed Federer to draw level (5-5).
The tie-break lasted 72 min- utes, during which Federer exercised his greatest selfcontrol while the Australian seemed to lose it, as the Australian Open champion took the first set 11-9.
The next set too was decided through a tiebreaker and the Australian won the set 9-11, taking the match to the third set.
This setback did not affect the Swiss as it began with the scores level, whereas the young Kyrgios was once again up to the challenge as the set, as well as the match, drifted again towards a tiebreaker.
Eighteen-time Grand Slam champion Federer emerged to be the winner (7-5), holding his nerves and taking advantage of his opponent’s double fault at one of the most crucial parts of the game. “It did feel very good, because you don’t very often play three breakers in a match. It’s nice to win those and winning breakers is always such a thrill,” Federer told ATP website. “It’s great winning this way, especially because I remember the loss against him a few years back,” he said.