Miami Open 2025 Day 8 Recap

Day eight in Miami solely featured one quarterfinal match as Novak Djokovic’s conflict with Sebastian Korda was postponed till Thursday.

Within the sole quarter-final performed, Grigor Dimitrov battled previous Francisco Cerundolo, coming by way of 6-7(6) 6-4 7-6(3) in 2 hours and 48 minutes.

With Sascha Zverev’s fourth-round match spilling over to Wednesday, it will have made sense to start out the play sooner than 1 pm, however the organisers determined to place 5 matches on the stadium courtroom. That meant by the point Djokovic was attributable to play, it was previous 11 pm, and the ATP guidelines now not allow a match to start out after that point.

Within the postponed encounter, Arthur Fils battled by way of again ache and a one-set deficit to topple high seed Alexander Zverev 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

Fils confronted early hassle towards Zverev. After dropping the primary set and receiving therapy for a nagging again challenge, his outlook appeared bleak. He hit again to stage, however at 1-3 within the decider, it appeared like the highest seed was progressing.

Nonetheless, Fils shifted his ways, killed Zverev’s rhythm and reeled off 4 straight video games. Zverev wilted beneath strain, and the seventeenth seed backed up his Indian Wells quarter-final with one other look int he final eight.

Day Eight 2025 Miami Open Quarter Remaining Outcomes

Winner
Loser
Scoreline

Grigor Dimitrov (14)
Francisco Cerundolo (23)
6-7(6) 6-4 7-6(3)

Dimitrov Outlasts Cerundolo

Grigor Dimitrov appears to search out some further juice within the tank in Miami, and he summoned each ounce of his veteran grit on Wednesday, saving a match level to outlast Francisco Cerundolo 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) and safe his a hundred and fiftieth Masters 1000 match win,

The 33-year-old Bulgarian, a 2024 finalist, battled exhaustion and a fierce Cerundolo in a two-hour, 48-minute thriller.

Pre-match, I had Cerundolo because the winner as he’s been bang in type, and Dimitrov has had a little bit of a gradual begin to the yr with a number of mid-match retirements. That makes me skeptical of his skill to grind it out, particularly when he’s had some robust earlier matches, so I used to be anticipating a narrative much like that of Indian Wells, the place he runs out of fuel.

After he squandered seven set factors within the opener, together with a 6/4 lead within the tiebreak and dumping a routine backhand volley into the online handy Cerundolo the set, I believed my decide was right.

However he hit again with steely resolve. The 14th seed shifted gears within the second, adopting a extra aggressive baseline stance and going an ideal 8/8 on internet factors. He broke within the opening sport, didn’t drop a single level on his first serve (11/11), and leveled the match with a mixture of backhand slices and his trademark one-hander, dictating rallies with newfound consistency.

The decider pushed Dimitrov near his restrict. Trailing 0-3, he clawed again to enhance solely to see Cerundolo maintain match level at 5-6. This time, the Argentine dedicated a easy error, sending a backhand return vast.

Dimitrov seized the lifeline, and within the third-set tiebreak, he struck first blood, firing a forehand winner, tumbling to the bottom and almost rolling his ankle within the course of.

From there he held agency, dropping three factors within the breaker to seal the win, collapsing in reduction after the handshake. Visibly dizzy and assisted off the courtroom by a match physician and ATP physio, there was no on-court interview.

Subsequent up: a blockbuster semi-final towards both six-time champion Novak Djokovic or house hope Sebastian Korda. I don’t see how he holds up bodily for that, however he proved me flawed final evening, so we will see.