Miami Open: Grigor Dimitrov 'almost perfect' in upsetting Carlos Alcaraz
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., March 29 (UPI) -- Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov played "almost perfect" tennis in upsetting No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Miami Open, the Spaniard said after the straight-sets loss in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Dimitrov, ranked No. 12, fired 23 winners and had just five unforced errors in the 6-2, 6-4 victory Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium. He also broke Alcaraz's serve four times in the 92-minute match.
"You appreciate it, of course, and you are very happy with the current win and then you have to quickly move on and focus on the next match," Dimitrov told reporters.
Alcaraz, who entered the match with a 3-1 record against Dimitrov, totaled 16 winners and eight unforced errors. He converted just 1 of 5 break point opportunities.
"I have a lot of frustrations right now, because he made me feel like I'm 13 years old," Alcaraz said. "It was crazy. I was talking to my team saying that 'I don't know what I have to do. I don't know his weakness. I don't know anything.'
"That's why I have frustration right now, but in the thought of tennis, I left the court happy with my level."
Dimitrov held his first serve, broke Alcaraz in the second game and held again in the third for a 3-0 lead in the first set. He then broke Alcaraz again for set point. He broke the Spaniard's serve two more times in the second set, which lasted 43 minutes.
"I think he played amazing tennis, almost perfect, if I can say 'perfect,'" Alcaraz said of Dimitrov. "I mean, I couldn't find solutions. I couldn't find a way to make him feel uncomfortable on the court. It was a great game from his side."
Dimitrov, a former world No. 3 and owner of nine career singles titles, will take on No. 5 Alexander Zverev of Germany in the semifinals. Zverev, who achieved a No. 2 ranking in 2022, is looking to capture his 22nd singles title.
Zverev beat No. 57 Fabian Marozsan of Hungary in an early match Thursday. He needed just 97 minutes to earn that 6-3, 7-5 triumph. Zverev trailed 8-6 in aces and 29-19 in winners, but broke the Hungarian's serve three times. He also logged just five unforced errors and saved two break points.
On the women's side, No. 4 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan needed 2 hours, 33 minutes to beat No. 27 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus to reach Saturday's singles final.
Rybakina totaled 11 aces and held on for that 6-4, 0-6, 7-6(2) triumph. She will meet No. 53 Danielle Collins of the United States in the final.
Collins, a Florida native who is set to retire at the end of 2024, dispatched No. 16 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia in just 77 minutes in that 6-3, 6-2 triumph. The American issued five aces and broke the Russian's serve four times.
"To have made the finals, first finals of a 1000 level [event] in my home state during my last season, this is just great," Collins said. "I mean, the memories made this week on and off the court, I'm just over the moon."
Collins, 30, will face Rybakina in the women's singles final at 12:30 p.m. EDT Saturday in Miami Gardens. The 2022 Australian Open finalist is looking for her third career singles title. Rybakina, the Wimbledon 2022 champion, owns seven singles titles.
No. 3 Jannik Sinner of Italy will face No. 4 Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the first men's singles semifinal Friday at the Miami Open. That match will not start before 3 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium.
Dimitrov will then face Zverev in the other semifinal, which won't start before 7 p.m., on the same court.
The winners of those meetings will meet Sunday afternoon in the men's singles final. The singles champions of the 2024 Miami Open will receive $1.1 million apiece.
