Federer makes semis in Miami

KEY BISCAYNE, FLA. >> Roger Federer’s run at the Miami Open was one point from ending. Down 6-4 in a third-set tiebreaker to Tomas Berdych, the situation was officially dire.

Yet even in that moment, Federer still felt some hope.

“I had belief I could turn around, even then,” he said.

Somehow, he was right, and his stellar start to 2017 continued. The fourth-seeded Federer fought off those two match points and beat the 10th-seeded Berdych 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarterfinals on Thursday — avenging a third-set tiebreak loss to Berdych at Key Biscayne seven years ago in a match he still thinks he should have won.

“I got incredibly lucky,” Federer said. “Could have gone either way. Felt like maybe this one I should have lost.”

Federer feels right at home at Key Biscayne, and so does Caroline Wozniacki — with good reason, since she sometimes practices at the facility. The 12th-seeded Wozniacki, a parttime South Florida resident, made the women’s final for the first time in 10 tries by topping second-seeded Karolina Pliskova 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.

“This is one of the few tournaments where I’ve never made a finals,” Wozniacki said. “I think my best result here was semifinals five years ago. It’s always been a tournament where I wouldn’t say I struggle, but I’ve just not had the results I wanted.”

Federer improved to 17-1 this year and will face No. 12 Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals on Friday. it