Masters 1,000 | Bautista beats Medvedev again and is in the semifinals

It can already be said that Roberto Bautista is a kryptonite for Daniil Medvedev, because he has beaten him in his three clashes and at different times: in the final of Chennai in 2017, last year in the quarterfinals of the 1,000 Masters in Cincinnati and this Wednesday in the quarterfinals of another tournament of that category, the Miami Open. The Castellón gave a new lesson to the Russian (6-4 and 6-2 in 92 minutes), who is in his prime and said that he believed he had the antidote to overcome his nemesis, but did not find it when the moment of truth. Bautista is one of the few rivals to whom he has always lost in at least three games, along with Roger Federer and Gilles Simon.

“In Cincinnati physically it was a disaster for me, I couldn't hold out and against someone like him, it's important,” Medvedev had pointed out. Tuesday after beating Tiafoe. This time he had no excuses. Rober embroidered it not only for consistency, as they say, but also for serve, power and talent. He has something that drives a patient tennis player crazy in the game, but something fragile in the head when things are not going well for him. It will be the Titan of the Navy who plays the semifinals on Friday against Jannik Sinner, which left Alexander Bublik (7-6 (5) and 6-4) speechless. “You are not human, uncle,” said the Kazakh. It will be the revenge of the duel of a few days ago in Dubai that the Italian won.

The first set was scored by Bautista because it was the one that put the most intention on the rest. His were the first two break opportunities and he converted the second. A set that caused a monumental anger from Medvedev, who destroyed a racket with two discontinuous blows against the ground, one inside the court and another next to the bench. The break was a very advantageous situation of 5-4 and serve for the Spanish, who knew how to suffer and lift his rival's only break option to get ahead. He also did it with a great performance, but with room for improvement, for example, in unforced errors (12 in that set) and in winning shots (six). Good sign because he could still play better.

A set to frame

So it was. As soon as he started the second set, he added another break, opened with a 0-40 that almost saved Medvedev. He did not do it and Rober, sure with his service, consolidated and later solved a situation of 15-40 with Numantine defenses at 3-1. A key game, because in the next game, mental wear and tear took its toll on the Muscovite and Bautista achieved the double break, more than half a victory in the pocket. And he closed it in a big way, with a blank service and only three failures in the entire set. As a teacher.

Miami Open ATP draw results.