Ashleigh Barty’s getting better, enters Miami Open final

World No. 1 Ashleigh insists she’s in good touch ahead of summit clash against Canada’s Bianca Andreescu; No. 2 seed Tsitsipas stunned by No. 26 Hurkacz

World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty bucked the upset trend at the Miami Open on Thursday, rolling into the women’s final as men’s second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was toppled by Hurbert Hurkacz. 

Canada’s Bianca Andreescu returns to Maria Sakkari of Greece during their Miami Open semi-final encounter on Thursday

Australia’s Barty fired 27 winners in a 6-3, 6-3 victory over fifth-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina to return to the title match of a tournament she won when it was last held in 2019. But Greece’s Tsitsipas was left trying to explain a “self-explosion” after he squandered a commanding lead in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 quarter-final loss to 26th seed Hurkacz of Poland—the latest in a string of upsets that saw men’s top seed Daniil Medvedev and No. 3 Alexander Zverev bow out along with women’s No. 2 Naomi Osaka.

On the women’s side, Barty will face Canada’s Bianca Andreescu, who reached her first final since winning the 2019 US Open title by beating Greece’s Maria Sakkari in three sets, 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 7-6 (7/4).  “I wanted to play her for long time now. It will be a tough match and I am looking forward to it,” Andreescu said of facing Barty in the final. Barty has gone from strength to strength since saving a match point in her opening victory over Slovakian qualifier Kristina Kucova.

Stefanos Tsitsipas

“Every single match I felt like I’ve done something a little bit better, and that’s all you can ask,” said Barty, who opted not to travel outside Australia last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic and withdrew from tournaments in Doha and Dubai in March with a leg injury.

She received treatment for an abdominal issue between sets on Thursday, but vowed she would be “right as rain” for a title showdown on Saturday. Andreescu won her first set in a tiebreaker by stepping up on the big points. After surviving two set points, the Canadian clinched it on her first set point when her forehand skipped off the top of the net and landed out of the reach of Sakkari. 

Andreescu needed another tiebreak in the third, winning five of the last seven points and claiming the set on the third match point when Sakkari slammed a forehand into the net.

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