Medvedev sets Sinner SF after denying late Jarry charge in Miami

Daniil Medvedev took a page out of Novak Djokovic’s playbook Wednesday night when he went into lockdown mode early before later scrambling to turn back a late charge by Chilean Nicolas Jarry en route to a 6-2, 7-6(7) win at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The World No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings has set an Australian Open final rematch with Jannik Sinner in Friday’s semi-finals as he looks to reach his third final in his past four outings.

“The first set I thought I was playing a good level, not doing anything extra, just enough to win,” Medvedev said. “Then he started to play much better and it was tough rallies, tough points. He served better and it was just a matter of a few points in the tie-break.”

“I was expecting he would get a lot of support from the Chileans and it was a good atmosphere.”

Medvedev made just three unforced errors to Jarry’s 14 in the first set alone before Jarry worked his way back into the match and came within two points of stealing the second set in a rollercoaster tie-break. But Medvedev held his nerve to extend his winning streak at Hard Rock Stadium to nine matches as he moved to within two wins of successfully defending a title for the first time in his career.

Casual brilliance 🤌

🥶 @NicoJarry @MiamiOpen | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/rc21UYJ6UR

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 28, 2024

Improving to 18-3 on the season, 2024 Australian Open finalist Medvedev dictated with a standout night on serve. He wasn’t taken to deuce until the ninth game of the second set, and won 80 per cent of first-serve points according to Infosys ATP Stats.

With the energetic south Florida crowd helping him claw back into the match, Jarry earned his lone break point of the match following a dramatic point he ended at net for the opportunity to break for 6-5. But Medvedev snuffed out the small opening with a Serve +1 backhand play and soon capitalised on a slew of Jarry unforced errors in a dramatic tie-break to get over the line.  

Jarry had the second set on his racquet at 5/4 in the tie-break but couldn't find a first serve. He made consecutive routine unforced errors to hand the initiative back to Medvedev, who ultimately needed three match points to seal victory.

Jarry would have returned to the Top 20 and become the first Chilean to reach the Miami semi-finals since Fernando Gonzalez in 2004 had he produced an upset.

Medvedev leads Sinner 6-4 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, but the Italian has won four straight, including a comeback from two sets down in January’s Australian Open final. Sinner will put his tour-leading 20-1 record on the season against Medvedev's similar impressive mark.

“He’s playing better and better and he’s confident," Medvedev said of Sinner. "Some matches you look on TV and when he looks to be in trouble he manages to find solutions and that’s what champions do. It’s a great challenge for me and will try to bring my 100 per cent.”