Djokovic stays No 1 as Medvedev falls to Hurkacz at Miami

Djokovic stays No 1 as Medvedev falls to Hurkacz at Miami

Defending champion continues his title defence with a victory over the Russian.

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev returns a ball to Hubert Hurkacz. (AP pic)
MIAMI:
Daniil Medvedev missed a chance to reclaim the world No 1 ranking on Friday after falling to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 at the Miami Open.

Medvedev fell from the top with a third-round loss to Gael Monfils at Indian Wells but would have taken back the spot from Serbia’s Novak Djokovic had he defeated Hurkacz, the defending Miami Open champion.

Instead, 10th-ranked Hurkacz advanced to the semifinals by ousting the reigning US Open champion and 20-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic stays No 1.

“He’s such a great player. It’s really tough to play against him,” Hurkacz said. “With Daniil you are going to play some longer rallies so you have some time to figure things out.”

Hurkacz, now 2-2 all-time against the Russian, faces either Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz or Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic for a berth in Sunday’s final.

Medvedev met with a trainer during the second set and was struggling late in the match.

“I was returning well and putting pressure on his serve,” Hurkacz said.

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