Hurkacz eyes ‘more’ after Miami crown
MIAMI: Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz defeated Italian teenager Jannik Sinner in straight sets to win the Miami Open and claim the first ATP Masters title of his career on Sunday.
The 26th-seeded Hurkacz, who had eliminated four higher-ranked players en route to the final, held his nerve at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium to win 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in 1hr 43min.
It was a deserved victory for the 24-year-old from Wroclaw, who claimed his second title of the season as Sinner’s challenge unravelled with a series of unforced errors.
“It feels unreal, so happy that I was able to play a good match today,” Hurkacz said.
“Jannik is an amazing competitor. I’m so proud of myself that I was able to beat him.”
Hurkacz, whose win earned him a message of congratulations Polish President Andrzej Duda, said he hoped the tournament win would be a launchpad for more victories.
“It gives me extra motivation and extra belief in myself, that I’ve won a really big title,” he said. “It motivates me to be a better player so I can win even more.”
Sinner meanwhile expressed disappointment that he had been unable to take full advantage of the absence in Miami of the men’s “Big Three” — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer — by crowning a successful tournament with victory in the final.
“Today is a tough day, to be honest, because losing the final here for me is not easy,” Sinner said.
“I came here with the mentality to win. We knew that Rafa, Roger, Novak were not playing,” he said.