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Fourth seed Alexander Bublik wasted no time Friday at the Arizona Tennis Classic to advance to the quarter-finals of the Challenger 175 event.

The 25-year-old needed just 53 minutes to defeat China’s Zhang Zhizhen 6-1, 6-2. Bublik backed up his heavy first delivery with a strong return performance, capturing 14 of 19 points off Zhang’s second serve.

The Kazakh, who saved all four break points faced Friday, will next seek to avenge his previous two losses (‘18 Budapest, ‘21 St. Petersburg) to Jan-Lennard Struff when he meets the German in the Phoenix Challenger quarter-finals. The qualifier Struff also cruised Friday, downing Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-3.

In front of a packed stadium at the Phoenix Country Club, top seed Matteo Berrettini moved past Aussie qualifier Aleksandar Vukic 7-5, 7-6(5). The Italian will next face Alexander Shevchenko, who won the Tenerife Challenger-1 earlier this year. Shevchenko advanced through qualifying in Phoenix and took out Gael Monfils and Marc-Andrea Huesler to make the last eight.

Following a career-best season, Nuno Borges is building momentum and enjoying a hot start to 2023 on the ATP Challenger Tour. The 26-year-old, who won last month’s Monterrey Challenger, is aiming to continue his seven-match winning streak (Challenger level) at this week’s Arizona Tennis Classic.

Yet to drop a set this season on the Challenger Tour, Borges stated that he’s just reaping the fruits of his labour.

“Every time I step on court I feel like there’s more stuff that I try not to take for granted but it’s been there because of the work I’ve put in,” Borges said. “I feel a little faster on court, decision making is getting better at this level. I can say that yes that I am more confident [this year] because in the end these players are making me more uncomfortable and anytime you go up, it keeps getting more and more challenging. Confidence is very subjective and it really is a volatile thing, comes and goes like crazy, one match can change it all.”

On Friday, the Portuguese No. 1 defeated Roman Safiullin to book his ticket to the quarter-finals of the Arizona Tennis Classic, where he will next meet Australian Alexei Popyrin. Earlier in the week, Borges made a statement by earning his highest-ranked win: upsetting second seed and World No. 38 Diego Schwartzman.

 Here are the typical sizes for some popular racket sports: Tennis:Court size: 78 feet (23.77 meters) in length and 36 feet (10.97 meters) in width for singles matches, and 78 feet (23.77 meters) in length and 42 feet (12.8 meters) in width for doubles matches.Net height: 3 feet (0.91 meters) at the center.Racquet size: Maximum length of 29 in...

Daniil Medvedev and Frances Tiafoe's paths to the BNP Paribas Open semi-finals have differed.

Medvedev’s route to his first semi-final in Indian Wells has not been smooth. The fifth seed was pushed to three sets against Ilya Ivashka in the third round, before he overcame a right ankle injury to claw past Alexander Zverev in the fourth round.

Tiafoe’s journey to the same stage has been the opposite, with the American yet to drop a set in Indian Wells. The 25-year-old, currently No. 14 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, is chasing his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title this weekend and will rise into the Top 10 for the first time if he triumphs.

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Young guns Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will write another chapter into their growing rivalry Saturday when they collide in the semi-finals at the BNP Paribas Open.

The 19-year-old Alcaraz, who blitzed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals, is chasing a double prize this weekend in Indian Wells. The Spaniard will return to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time since January if he captures his third ATP Masters 1000 crown at the hard-court event.

However, he will have his work cut out against the 21-year-old Sinner, who enters the semi-final blockbuster off the back of a statement win against 2022 champion Taylor Fritz.

"I'm really happy to play against him again. Great battles," Alcaraz said when previewing the match. "I enjoy the matches against him. I would say it's going to be a really good match, for the fans as well, to watch that match. And for myself as well. I will try to show my best, to show my 100 per cent. Jannik is playing great. I'm going to enjoy that match."

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The world's best players will compete at the Miami Open presented by Itau for the 38th edition of the ATP Masters 1000 event, held in Miami. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and last year’s finalist Casper Ruud will lead the way at the season’s second Masters 1000.  

Here's what you need to know.

When is the Miami Open presented by Itau?

The 2023 Miami Open presented by Itau will be held from 22 March-2 April. The hard-court ATP Masters 1000 tournament, established in 1985, will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The tournament director is James Blake.

Who is playing at the 2023 Miami Open presented by Itau?

The Miami Open presented by Itau will feature stars including Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud and Taylor Fritz.

When is the draw for the Miami Open presented by Itau?

The Miami Open presented by Itau draw release time is to be confirmed.

A busy Thursday at the Arizona Tennis Classic saw Alexander Shevchenko score a win that he won’t soon forget. The 22-year-old ousted French wild card Gael Monfils in the first round of the Phoenix Challenger 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3.

Post match, the qualifier Shevchenko posted on Instagram a message sharing his admiration for the former World No. 6.

“Such an emotional match for me,” Shevchenko said. “[Gael] was the reason I fell in love with the game.”

Shevchenko is coached by Gunter Bresnik, who has worked with prominent players such as Boris Becker, Patrick McEnroe, Dominic Thiem, and fittingly—Monfils.

Top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski continued their smooth sailing at the BNP Paribas Open with a convincing quarter-final win on Thursday night. The Dutch-British duo's 6-3, 6-3 win against Jamie Murray and Michael Venus closed the evening's play on the Indian Wells stadium court, after Carlos Alcaraz beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in singles action.

Koolhof/Skupsi saved the lone break point against them and converted on three of six break chances in the victory, including one that doubled as match point. With two aces, the top seeds were dominant on first serve, winning 85 per cent of points behind their first delivery.

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They will face Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in Friday's semi-finals, after the Mexican-French pair came from behu=ind to upset fifth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara 2-6, 6-2, 10-7 on Stadium 2. The teams combined to create 19 break points in an eventful match, with both teams breaking four times.

Friday's other semi-final will see defending and two-time champions John Isner and Jack Sock take on Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden.

As he continues to gain steam in his bid for a maiden BNP Paribas Open title, Carlos Alcaraz crossed off another first on Thursday night in Indian Wells. For the first time in four ATP Head2Head meetings with Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Spaniard emerged victorious with a 6-4, 6-4 result in the desert.

In a thoroughly entertaining quarter-final, two of the brightest young stars in the game delivered a non-stop reel of highlight points. The power, athleticism and shotmaking on display kept the stadium crowd enraptured for two hours, with both players producing magic from all parts of the court.

"Today, the goal was to stay there," Alcaraz said, noting that he faded in the final set of their Basel meeting last October. "I knew that I was going to have my chances. [I had to] try to take it. Probably I played one of my best matches this season, in 2023. I'm really happy and [want to] keep going."

The victory, Alcaraz's first against a Top 10 opponent since he beat Casper Ruud in the US Open final, moves the Spaniard within two wins of a return to the top of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Into the Indian Wells final for the second straight year (l. to Nadal in 2022), he will next meet Jannik Sinner, with Daniil Medvedev or Frances Tiafoe potentially beyond that in the final.

While the top-seeded Alcaraz dominated early and late, Auger-Aliassime matched him blow for blow for much of the match. The Spaniard fought off the first break point against him to serve out the opening set, but could not deny his opponent's charge as the eighth seed broke to level the second set at 1-1.

Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz both entered their Thursday BNP Paribas Open quarter-final with lengthy winning streaks in the desert, defending champion Fritz on a nine-match tear and and Sinner on a run of five victories, excluding his fourth-round withdrawal last year.

The comfort level of both men in Indian Wells was apparent in a high-quality matchup, with Sinner's huge hitting making the difference in the crucial moments of a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win. Already the first Italian man to reach the quarters in the event's 47-year history, Sinner extended his historic tournament by improving to 3-3 in his past six matches against Top 5 opposition.

"I just tried to play quite aggressively, which I've done," Sinner said. "I'm obviously very happy about the performance. Playing against Taylor is never easy. I lost against him two years ago here. He loves the conditions here so I'm very happy that I found a way today."

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Sinner is now through to his second ATP Masters 1000 semi-final, after his run to the 2021 Miami title match (l. to Hurkacz). He will meet Carlos Alcaraz or Felix Auger-Aliassime on Saturday in the last four.

In the first round of the all-new Challenger 175 category, fans can enjoy a rematch of two players who have previously met in the fourth round of a Grand Slam.

In 2021, Matteo Berrettini ousted Ilya Ivashka in the round of 16 at Wimbledon, where the Italian went on to reach the final (l. Djokovic). Two months later, the Italian and Ivashka met again in the US Open third round, with Berrettini prevailing in five sets.

This week, after suffering losses at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, Berrettini and Ivashka made their way to the Arizona Tennis Classic, where they will clash Thursday afternoon at the Phoenix Country Club.

Top seed Berrettini earned a wild card into the Phoenix Challenger. Gael Monfils, Alexander Bublik, and Richard Gasquet are also among the strong field.

The US Open is a major tennis tournament that takes place annually in New York City, typically during the last two weeks of August and the first week of September. It is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, along with the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. The US Open was first held in 1881 and has been played on several different surf...

After a comeback win kickstarted their title defence, Americans John Isner and Jack Sock have improved with each passing round at the BNP Paribas Open. The home favourites scored their most decisive win of the tournament on Wednesday night, beating Italians Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-4 under the lights on the Indian Wells stadium court.

The two-time desert champions saved all three break points against them in the victory and converted on three of their five chances, much to the delight of the Southern California crowd. Isner/Sock stamped their authority on the match early on, when Sock whipped a backhand return winner on a deciding point to secure their first break of the match.

They will next meet Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden, who earned a 6-4, 7-5 victory against Canadian singles stars Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov earlier in the night. The Indian-Australian duo won both sets behind a single break and saved all four break points against them.

The remaining two quarter-finals, in the top half of the draw, will be played on Thursday. Top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski will meet Jamie Murray and Michael Venus, while fifth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara meet Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

The doubles semi-finals are scheduled for Friday, with the champions to be crowned on Saturday.

Despite rain cancelling much of Wednesday’s action, Chinese star Zhang Zhizhen rallied from a set down to advance to the second round of the Arizona Tennis Classic, where he will next clash against fourth seed Alexander Bublik.

The star-studded action got underway four hours after initially scheduled, but the World No. 93 Zhang prevailed against lucky loser Rinky Hijikata 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4 before heavy rain again halted play at the Phoenix Challenger.

Only two other matches were completed in Wednesday’s opening-round action. Third seed Richard Gasquet downed American qualifier Emilio Nava 7-6(5), 6-3 and Mikael Ymer defeated Radu Albot 6-1, 7-5.

When rain cancelled play at around 7:30 p.m., Gael Monfils and Alexander Shevchenko were locked in a three-set battle. Shevchenko, 22, advanced through qualifying and was leading the French wild card 6-4, 6-7(2), 2-0 when the match was suspended.

Daniil Medvedev entered his first BNP Paribas Open quarter-final with one health concern and exited Wednesday's match with another, to go along with his 18th straight victory.

After rolling his right ankle in a match-of-the-season contender against Alexander Zverev on Tuesday, Medvedev was not able to walk that evening. But he surprised himself by moving well a day later in a 6-3, 7-5 win against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Then late in the second set, on a break point at 3-3, the fifth seed added to his worry list when another fall caused him to slice open his right thumb.

"I absolutely cut it open. It was like fully open," said Medvedev, who twice required treatment to stop the bleeding. "I never cut myself with a knife even like this because I don't cook much. Now it's getting black. I don't know if it's a good sign."

In his post-match press conference, he later added: "The moment I cut it, I saw, I don't know if I should say it, kind of the meat. That was not nice to see. They cleaned it now. I have a small tape. Should be fine."

The untimely tumble could have been a turning point in the match, as Medvedev lost six straight points beginning with his missed break chance. He tried to play on without taping his thumb, but quickly realised that was not an option.

The two remaining semi-final spots at the BNP Paribas Open are up for grabs on Thursday in Indian Wells, where top seed Carlos Alcaraz continues his bid for the title and the No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The Spaniard must defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime for the first time in four attempts if he is to keep alive his chances of that double prize, while defending champion Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner go head-to-head in a clash between two of the hardest hitters on Tour.

ATPTour.com previews the quarter-final matchups from the bottom half of the BNP Paribas Open draw.

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There has been nothing to question about Daniil Medvedev's game in recent weeks, but uncertainty around the health of his right ankle surrounded his BNP Paribas Open quarter-final clash with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Wednesday. After rolling his ankle in a thrilling fourth-round victory against Alexander Zverev on Tuesday, Medvedev said he was having trouble walking but that he hoped to play in the quarters.

In a 6-3, 7-5 victory against the 23rd seed — his 18th straight match win — Medvedev moved well in a fast start to alleviate any concerns. He added a new worry late in the second set when another fall required treatment on a bloody right thumb, but after escaping 0/40 at 3-4, the four-time ATP Masters 1000 champion did just enough in windy conditions to finish the job in straight sets.

"I'm actually happy the ankle didn't hurt much because when I warmed up, it was hurting pretty bad," Medvedev said post-match. "I knew I was going to play, I knew I was going to try. But I couldn't move well on the warm-up. I tried to warm it up as long as possible, took one painkiller so that probably helped. I was actually feeling better and better during the match.

"The match was absolutely crazy. I could talk about this for 15 minutes, but just really happy to go through such a tough match with such tough conditions with the wind."

It was business as usual in the first set once he opened up a 3-0 lead and nearly broke again for 4-0, with his patient and prodding baseline game frustrating Davidovich Fokina on the Indian Wells stadium court.

Richard Gasquet views the ATP Tour just like a tennis ball with which he has won a point: He goes back to it for more.

The 36-year-old Frenchman has spent more than 20 years on tour and is showing no signs of slowing down. After reaching a career-high ranking No. 7 almost 16 years ago, Gasquet is still performing at a high level and residing in the Top 50 of Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Boasting a famed one-handed backhand that he can easily change direction with in the blink of an eye, the World No. 43 is also a little superstitious on court.

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“I have a superstition with the ball, I use the same ball when I’m winning points,” Gasquet told ATPTour.com. “With [changing my] grip [every changeover], it’s because I’m sweating so much, not superstition. It feels more fresh.”

Frances Tiafoe soared into his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final at the BNP Paribas Open Wednesday when he overcame Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 to end the Briton’s eight-match winning run.

After a rain-disrupted start, the clouds cleared and Tiafoe started to fire. The American combined flair with power, timing the ball cleanly and moving forward effectively to earn the 13th – and biggest – win of his season after one hour and 25 minutes.

Tiafoe, who is making his seventh appearance in Indian Wells, will face fifth seed Daniil Medvedev or Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for a place in Sunday’s championship match.

"I am really happy. I feel like when I am there mentally, I am one of the best players in the world," Tiafoe said. "Today it is not just about getting to the semis, I am happy to beat a guy like that, who has been playing so well. To be able to come out here and beat him in straight sets, is relatively comfortable. At the end, it got a little tricky, but it was pretty one-way traffic and I am really happy with where my game is at."

Norrie lifted the title in Rio de Janeiro last month and entered the quarter-final clash off the back of a victory against sixth seed Andrey Rublev. However, he was unable to replicate that level against Tiafoe, frequently dropping the ball short to allow the 14th seed to dictate.

Thanasi Kokkinakis upset fifth seed Jiri Lehecka in straight sets Tuesday at the Arizona Tennis Classic. A few hours after the Aussie’s victory, he attended the Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks NBA game.

The 26-year-old has been a longtime fan of the NBA and most notably the Suns’ point guard Chris Paul.

“I pretty much follow Chris Paul wherever he goes. He’s my favourite player. Until he retires, I’ll stick with him,” Kokkinakis told ATPTour.com. “I saw him play when I was younger for Team USA and New Orleans and I just liked the way he played. He wasn’t someone that was a lot of people’s favourite player, I wanted to go a little different from the mainstream. He’s real smooth, real smart.

“We had the same agency a while back, so I’ve met him a few times. We keep in touch on social media sometimes. It’s pretty cool, he’s a nice guy. Him and Tracy McGrady were my favourites.”

Kokkinakis attended the game alongside his coach Todd Langman and countryman Alexei Popyrin, who also earned a first-round victory at the Phoenix Challenger on Tuesday. The Bucks, who are leading the NBA’s Eastern Conference, defeated the Suns 116-104. Milwaukee’s forward Giannis Antetokounmpo finished as the leading scorer with 36 points.