At 2016 Miami Masters, the Roger Federer hoop-la was a short-lived affair with the Swiss Superstar withdrawing from his second-round match against Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro. Federer contracted a stomach virus and announced he couldn’t play to a huge disappointment of his millions of global fans. However, the Miami courts are proving to be a graveyard of seeded players with women’s no.1, no.3 and no.5 seeds; Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska and Simona Halep having already crashed out and men’s no.2 and no.4 seeds Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka beaten by their third-round opponents. Murray lost to Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov while Stan Wawrinka fell to Russian Andrey Kuznetsov. Serena lost in the fourth round to Russian veteran 15th seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova while Swiss upcoming star and no.19 seed Timea Bacsinszky continued with her blazing form as she defeated Radwanska in the fourth-round and got past Halep in the quarterfinal. However, men’s defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia was relentless in his Miami Masters campaign and entered the quarterfinals with a straight sets victory over Austrian youngster Dominic Thiem.
To a big disappointment of his world-wide fans, Roger Federer withdrew before his match against Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro. The Argentine played against Federer’s replacement Horacio Zeballos, another Argentine but lost. Zeballos progressed to the fourth round, before losing to Belgium’s David Goffin. Andy Murray disappointed with his third-round 7-6, 4-6, 3-6 loss against Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov. In other third-round action in men’s draw, Japan’s no.6 seed Kei Nishikori beat Ukraine’s Alexander Dolgopolov 6-2, 6-2 and Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut defeated ninth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2-6, 6-3, 7-6. Defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia was the last men on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals. The top-seeded Djokovic scored a 6-3, 6-4 win over Austrian 14th seed Dominic Thiem late on Tuesday night. Earlier in the fourth round, the Serb had accounted for Portuguese Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-1 while Thiem had reached the fourth round by beating Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-2. Djokovic’s quarterfinal opponent will be Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych, who defeated Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in the fourth round. Canada’s Milos Raonic demolished Bosnia Herzegovina’s Damir Dzumhur 6-0, 6-3 to set up a quarterfinal clash with Australian Nick Kyrgios. The Australian came through by defeating Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov 7-6, 6-3. In the third quarterfinal, Belgium’s David Goffin will meet Frenchman Gilles Simon after the two men defeated their fourth-round rivals. Goffin beat Argentine Horacio Zeballos 7-5, 6-3 while Simon defeated compatriot Lucas Pouille 6-0, 6-1.
In women’s draw, Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky has already gate-crashed into the semifinal at the expense of no.5 seed Romanian Simona Halep. This was the second upset Bacsinszky has caused in 36 hours. The 26-year old Swiss, earlier defeated no.3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the fourth round and on Tuesday; accounted for Halep with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory. In other quarterfinal, no.2 seed Germany’s Angelique Kerber will take on USA’s Madison Keys; Victoria Azarenka will play against GBR’s Johanna Konta and in the last all-Russian quarterfinal, Svetlana Kuznetsova will face Ekaterina Makarova. With exits of Serena, Halep and Radwanska, the women’s draw has opened up. On current form, Belarus’s 13th seed Victoria Azarenka looks the most likely winner after defeating no.4 seed Spain’s Garbine Muguruza 7-6, 7-6. However, before that, Vika may run into no. 2 seed Angelique Kerber in the semifinal.
