Competing in his fifth Miami Open presented by Itau quarterfinal, world No. 2 Jannik Sinner delivered a tantalizing performance over home hero Frances Tiafoe, setting a semifinal clash with world No. 4 Alexander Zverev in his quest to complete the Sunshine Double.
Four-time major champion Jannik Sinner continues his quest to complete the Sunshine Double, having extended a spotless record streak to 30 sets won in a row at the Masters 1000 level in Miami on Thursday.
The second seed sailed past world No. 20 Frances Tiafoe with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph in 71 minutes at Hard Rock Stadium, setting a box office against third seed Alexander Zverev for a spot in the Miami Open presented by Itau championship match.
The four-time major winner leads the 24-time ATP title holder 7-4 in their series, having last played one another at the BNP Paribas Open semifinals, a contest the Italian took 6-2, 6-4 en route to claiming the crown.
The Match as It Happened
The 24-year-old, who dropped just nine points behind his serve on his way to an imperious victory, assessed his performance in his on-court interview, stressing the importance of mentally staying calm and focused.
“When you start by going through a break-up, it gives you already a slightly good confidence. At the same time, they might be very aggressive, so I try to stay as compact as possible with my shots," he said.
“Mentally, you have to stay calm and be relaxed, also off the court, because I played a lot of tennis in the past three or four weeks with all the practice sessions and everything," he added.
"I’m trying to keep going. I know this is my last tournament on hard courts before going on clay, so I’m very happy to make the semis again.”
Sinner came out firing, quickly turning the match into a one-sided affair, as he pushed his opponent against the wall from the get-go, giving a glimpse of the storm he would unfold by converting a break in the opening game of the contest.
Flawless on serve, he dictated play with aggression, winning 92 percent of the points on his first serve to inch ahead 6-2 in the first set in just 32 minutes.
Despite finding an extra gear as the second set wore on, the 28-year-old American failed in his attempt to halt the former champion, who stayed dominant on a level of his own, wrapping up proceedings with consistency to move within two wins of a second crown in Miami Gardens.
Elsewhere, Thursday's evening session saw Zverev dismantle world No. 19 Francisco Cerundolo with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory in just 65 minutes, progressing to the last four of Indian Wells and Miami in the same season for the first time.
After punching his ticket back to the last four, the 2018 finalist outlined: “Tomorrow will be the toughest test. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been feeling quite well, and hopefully it’ll continue.”
The other men's singles semifinal will feature the winner of a showpiece between Frenchman Arthur Fils and Czech Jiri Lehecka on Friday's day session.