Eighteen-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer saved two match points in the third set tie-breaker to beat 10th seed Toman Berdych in the quarter-finals of the Miami Open on Friday.
Federer beat Berdych 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(6) as he entered the semi-final at Miami where he will face Australia’s Nick Kyrgios. The Australian beat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-7(9), 6-3 in a thrilling encounter. Zverev had beaten top seed Stan Wawrinka earlier in the tournament. Kyrgios has met Federer once at the Madrid Open, where he beat the Swiss maestro.
For Federer, 2017 hasn’t been anything short of dazzling as he won the Australian Open at Melbourne and followed it up with a title at Indian Wells earlier this month. Federer’s win-loss record for the season stands at 17-1. This is Federer’s sixth Miami Open semi-final.
Federer got the better of Berdych in the first set as he dismantled the Czech player 6-2. However, he lost his flair in the second set and ended up handing it to Berdych 3-6. The third set saw both the player’s battle for supremacy as the 35-year-old Swiss survived two match points in the deciding tie-breaker. On match point, Berdych double-faulted to hand the Swiss yet another stunning win.
Federer is on course of meeting long-time rival Rafael Nadal in Sunday’s final as the Spaniard recorded a 6-2 6-3 win over American Jack Sock to reach the last four. He will face Italy’s Fabio Fognini for a place in the final.
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