"Why can't we have a normal match": Fernandez and Townsend lament tie-break thriller element of Miami Open run so far

The duo of Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Townsend advanced to the semifinals of the 2023 Miami Open, prevailing in a thrilling quarterfinal match on Tuesday.

It came down to the wire for the North American duo, who claimed a 2-6 7-6(4) 10-8 victory over the third seeded pairing of Jelena Ostapenko and Lyudmyla Kichenok. This would be the third consecutive tiebreak won by Fernandez and Townsend, with the latter pointing out she would like to win a match without going through the pressure of surviving a tiebreak.

"I was like, "why can't we have a normal match?" Every match that we've played has been like tie-breaker, set tie-breaker," said Townsend after the match. "So, I had to check my pulse after we were done. I was like, I just need a breath for one second."

The newly-formed partners have looked great so far, with Townsend stating that the team got better with each match.

"I think it's gotten better every match and as you progress through the tournament, the opponent gets tougher and the pressure increases," she added. "So for us, to come out in a match like this and to be able to come and turn around playing our best and our opponents were going amazing at the start of the match. We were able to turn it around and keep each other up."