Andreescu outlasts Sakkari in late night Miami thriller

In a match that finished well past 1am local time, Bianca Andreescu rallied from a break down in the final set to overcome Maria Sakkari at the Miami Open.

The Canadian emerged victorious in their semifinal encounter, prevailing 7-6(7) 3-6 7-6(4) on a night that saw proceedings begin late due to a rain delay. Andreescu raced to a 4-1 lead, before Sakkari broke back and forced a first set tiebreak. With each woman refusing to give in, it was Andreescu who prevailed after close to an hour.

The second set saw Sakkari fall into a 1-3 hole, only for the 23rd seed to increase her intensity and reel off five consecutive games. Momentum was entirely on her side as she dominated play from the baseline, employing her forehand to hit winners and draw errors from her opponent. With the match tied at one set apiece, it all came down to a decider.

Still fueled by the momentum from the second set, Sakkari obtained the pivotal break to lead 4-2. Her Canadian opponent seemed to be out of it, as her body language displayed surrender. However, the 2019 US Open champion broke back to level the set at 4-4.

After another exchange of breaks, a second tiebreak ensued. It was here that Andreescu's consistency was prevalent, as the World No.9 dictated play with deep groundstrokes whereas Sakkari sprayed errant shots into the net. After squandering two match points, Andreescu converted on her third, clinching the match after two hours and 42 minutes.

The eighth seed will face World No.1 Ashleigh Barty in the final, as the Aussie defeated Elina Svitolina in straight sets to advance to her second final of the season.

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