The final of the Miami Open this Sunday between Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner was the most important clash in the careers of the two players! In pursuit of the first Masters 1000 crown for Poland Hubert defeated his Italian doubles partner, Jannik Sinner, by a score of 7-6, 6-4, in one hour and 43 minutes.
He thus lifted the first Masters 1000 title for his country and joined the special list of champions at the ATP premium level at the age of 24. Hurkacz had not yet lost a game in Florida this year, having also conquered the crown of Delray Beach at the start of the season before extending this great streak in Miami.
At the same time, he added 1,000 points to his total and passed 21 rivals on the ATP roster, which puts him in the top 16 now. It was the first Masters 1000 final between two players ranked outside the top 30 since Paris 2003, Hurkacz becoming the lowest ranked champion to reach this level since Paris 2005 and Tomas Berdych.
The Pole won nine more points than the Italian, not defending any of the three break opportunities he suffered, but wiping out this deficit with four break on 11 occasions. The first set lasted almost 60 minutes, and there were four service breaks as well as a close battle that could have been won by either side.
As in the semi-final match against Bautista Agut, Jannik was broken on his first serve when his backhand landed too far, and Hubert was able to climb back to 3-0 after a deuce.
Hubert Hurkacz defeated Sinner for first Masters 1000 title at 24
Sinner broke in the fifth game and pushed back two break opportunities in the next to tie the score at 3-3.
The teenager then saved another break point in the eighth game with a winning serve and created the first lead with a break at 15 for a score of 5-5 after forcing Hurkacz’s backhand error.
Serving for the set, the Italian suffered a 40-0 break that kept his rival in the game before the tie-break. With that momentum on his side, Hubert created a 6-2 gap in the tie-break and won it by 7-4 after Jannik’s forehand error.
With nothing working for him, Jannik claimed just five points in the first four games of the second set to end up at 7-6 and 4-0. The teenager sprayed a forehand error in the opening play and was again broken at 0-2.
By fending off two break points in the fifth game, Sinner averted an even greater catastrophe and gained at least one momentum that led him to a break in the sixth game.
Remaining calm, Hubert held on to 30 in the eighth and tenth games, before sealing the game for good when Sinner hit a flawed forehand at 5-4. The young Polish was thus able to celebrate the proudest moment of his career so far.
–
