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Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner reached the Miami semi-finals by ending Tomas Machac’s stunning run at the ATP Masters event.
Second seed Sinner used his explosive power and precision to win 6-4 6-2 against his 60th-ranked Czech opponent.
Machac beat Andy Murray and Andrey Rublev to play a first Masters quarter-final but Sinner’s level was too good.
The 22-year-old Italian will face third seed Daniil Medvedev in a rematch of January’s Australian Open final.
Sinner beat the Russian to win the first Grand Slam title of his career at Melbourne Park and he has continued his fine form since.
The world number three won another title in Rotterdam before reaching the semi-finals in Indian Wells, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz for his only defeat of the 2024 season.
Sinner and Alcaraz are forming a burgeoning rivalry and, with the 20-year-old Spaniard playing Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov in the last eight on Thursday, they remain on course to meet again in the Miami final.
After recovering an early break of serve against the 23-year-old Machac, Sinner found his rhythm to reach the last four without any further major problems.
He converted four of 11 break points, without facing another himself, to reach the semis for the third time in his career.
“Physically I feel good, I’m just happy to compete,” said Sinner.
“We practice very hard to be in these positions and I’m happy to be in the semis again.”
Medvedev, who beat Sinner in last year’s Miami final, booked his last four spot with a 6-2 7-6 (9-7) victory over Chile’s Nicolas Jarry.
The defending champion made just three unforced errors to Jarry’s 14 in the first set and clawed his way back in the second-set tie-break to wrap up the win after just 68 minutes.
“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.”
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