Machac upsets Rublev on windy, rainy Miami day

World No. 60 Tomas Machac mastered blustery conditions after waiting out a six-hour rain delay in Miami to claim his first Top 10 win after stunning fifth seed Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 Friday.

Rublev ends the 'Sunshine Double' with just one match win to show for his efforts in California and Florida, and with a third straight defeat against a Czech opponent following recent losses to Jiri Lehecka in Indian Wells and 18-year-old Jakub Mensik in Doha.

Machac said that it was advice from the #NextGenATP teen that helped him devise a winning game plan against the World No. 5.

"I asked Jakub for some information after he beat him in Doha," Machac said after his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Rublev. "He's 18 years old and playing well and we're all pushing ourselves. It helps to show we can beat these kinds of players.

"It's tough to feel emotions now after a long day. I played very well and I'm super happy to get the win."

FIRST TOP 10 WIN 🎯

Tomas Machac STUNS World No. 6 Rublev for the biggest win of his career!!! @MiamiOpen | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/XsokNPd1C5

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 22, 2024

In difficult conditions Machac clipped 17 winners to 22 unforced errors, and saved both break points he faced according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Advancing to the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 for the first time, the 23-year-old will next meet the winner of former World No. 1 Andy Murray and No. 29 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Friday’s win lifts Machac to a career-high No. 55 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. He has now won consecutive matches in four of his past five tour-level events dating back to the Australian Open. He is 8-5 on the season, having already matched his total number of wins from 2023.