Last year’s runner-up Grigor Dimitrov powered past American player Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 7-5 in one hour and 23 minutes, returning to the last eight at the Miami Open presented by Itau on Tuesday.
The 14th seed became the first player to secure a spot in the quarterfinals earlier on Tuesday before the inclement weather in Miami Gardens forced the organizers to suspend play.
The first set went on serve until the 33-year-old converted a clinical break in the ninth break, firing five aces in the process, before serving out for the set 6-4 in 33 minutes.
Dimitrov stayed solid behind his serve, winning 84 percent of the first serve points and 67 percent with his second delivery.
Nakashima opened proceedings in the second set with a hold at love to come out on top in a tie decided by small margins.
Eventually, the 9-time ATP titlist clinched a pivotal break in the 11th game, marching to seal the set 7-5 and the match, powering his way to the 21st quarterfinal of his career.
The world No. 15 hit 28 winners to 18 unforced errors, converted two of five break points, and won 83 percent of the points on his first serve overall.
Furthermore, he did not face a break point throughout the encounter, and a sharp performance on the return saw him recording a return rate of 128 compared to his adversary’s 53.
In Miami, Dimitrov has built upon momentum, delivering high-class tennis performances, showcasing his vast and exquisite repertoire as exceptional athleticism despite his recent struggles with injuries.
Previously, he defeated Italian Federico Cina and 22nd seed Karen Khachanov, becoming the fourth active player to record 100 hard court Masters 1000 triumphs.
Unlike last year, the new season has seen him retiring due to injury from three of the five tournaments he competed in, including his Australian Open first-rounder.
In the lead-up to the Miami Open, he found some consistency in Indian Wells, moving through the round of 16, dismantled by world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz 1-6, 1-6.
In 2024, a remarkable campaign at Hard Rock Stadium saw the former world number three progressing into the championship match, falling to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who outplayed the Bulgarian in straight sets to claim his second Masters 1000 title.
Despite his loss, he had plenty of reasons to celebrate a successful start to the season and such a run in Florida, which included upsets over former Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz, top seed Carlos Alcaraz, and German Alexander Zverev.
As a result, he cracked back into the Top 10 for the first time in five years at age 32, bringing along a much-missed one-handed backhand, absent since February that year.
Next, he will face 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo, who shocked fifth seed Casper Ruud with an inspired performance to earn a 6-4, 6-2 win once action resumed on Tuesday, moving to the quarterfinals for the third time at the event.
On Sunday, the 2022 Miami Open semifinalist fired up Stadium court, wrapping up the night session with a 6-2, 7-6 victory over home favorite Tommy Paul.
Cerundolo comes off the back of an outstanding run at Indian Wells, which led him to achieve the last eight, losing to Alcaraz after a two-set thriller.
Bulgaria’s top racquet leads the Argentine 1-0 in the series, a match contested on the grass court surface at the Queen’s Club in 2023.