Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud advanced to the Last 16 at the Miami Open presented by Itaú on Sunday, but Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tommy Paul failed to get past Sebastian Korda and Francisco Cerundolo, while veteran Gael Monfils continued his epic run into round 4.
I’ve played so many matches, and I know it’s not easy to close out matches with a big atmosphere. If you win the first point, it’s key. I was fortunate enough to return down the line, and come down to the net, and I caught him. I knew at that moment, that point can be a game changer, and it was. Crowd getting involved and then it’s pure experience, and pure joy from my side as well.
Gael Monfils
Djokovic, the 4th seed from Serbia, set a record on Day 5 with his 6-1 7-6(1) defeat of Argentine lucky loser Camilo Ugo Carabelli, marking his 411th match win at Masters 1000 events, moving him clear of his great rival Rafael Nadal for the most in the series history since 1990.
He also remains on course for a record 7th title at the hard-court event in Florida.
“I’m honoured to have another milestone, another record broken,” said Djokovic. “There’s always something on the line, pretty much every time I play, and, of course, that motivates me to do well at tournaments.”
Djokovic raced through the first set in his first meeting with Ugo Carabelli, and appeared to have taken complete control when he broke his opponent’s serve in the 3rd game of the second, but the Argentine dug deep to immediately reclaim the break-back, and held firm behind his own serve from then on to force a tiebreak.
There was little Ugo Carabelli could do to cling on in the breaker, though, as Djokovic raised his level to complete his 1 hour, 45-minute win, finishing the match having won 80% of points behind his first serve.
“I started off really well, 6-1, very similar to the first match two days ago,” Djokovic said later. “Things got complicated in the second. I broke his serve, he re-broke my serve, and then we were, kind of, going toe-to-toe.”
“I had some chances at 4-4 but, I think, it was fair to take the second set to a tiebreak. Then, like two days ago, a perfect tiebreak. Great serving when I needed to, and, overall, just pleased to get through.”
Djokovic arrived in Miami on a 3-match losing streak, but the 37-year-old has yet to drop a set this week.
Lorenzo Musetti battled past Felix Auger-Aliassime and will meet Novak Djokovic for a place in the Miami quarters
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The Serbian will face Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti next, who earlier overcame No 18 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime from Canada, 4-6 6-2 6-3, to reach the 4th round for the 2nd consecutive year.
Musetti, the 15th seed and World No 16, earned back-to-back wins for only the second time this season by seeing off Auger-Aliassime after 2 hours and 26 minutes, converting 4 of the 14 break points he earned against the Canadian en route to his first Top 20 win since last October.
Casper Ruud, the 5th seed from Norway, advanced with a 6-4 7-6(4) win behind a dominant serving performance against Alejandro Tabilo, the 30th seed from Chile.
The Norwegian dropped just 5 points behind his first delivery, fending off the 3 break points he faced while firing 11 aces.
Francisco Cerundolo upset 12th-seeded Tommy Paul to advance to the Last 16 in Miami
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The 2022 finalist improved to 3-0 in his head-to-head with Tabilo, and will meet Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo next for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Cerundolo upset Tommy Paul, the American 12th seed, 6-2 7-6(4), in a match characterised by intense rallies and pivotal moments.
Paul struggled against the Argentine, who delivered a robust performance, showcasing his skills throughout the match.
“It’s never easy to play against someone like Paul,” Cerundolo said. “He’s a great competitor.”
Seeded No 23 in Miami, Cerundolo continued his current run of good form, which has included reaching the final in Buenos Aires earlier this month.
The match was not without its challenges for both, as Paul had opportunities to seize control, particularly in the second set.
“I had my chances in the second set, but didn’t convert them,” lamented the American afterwards.
Another American, Sebastian Korda channeled a feeling of home to register his first Top 10 win of 2025 on Sunday, when the 24-year-old downed the World No 10, Stefanos Tsitsipas from Greece, 7-6(4) 6-3.
Despite letting slip a 5-3 lead in the first set, Korda held firm for a 95-minute triumph to improve to 9-3 in Miami.
“[It feels] awesome,” he said. “I was born in Florida. My whole family is here. It’s just a lot of fun to play here and get my first Top 10 win of the year.”
“I tried to serve well, tried to come to the net when I could, and I’m just happy with my performance today.”
Veteran Gael Monfils of France outlasted Juame Munar in 3 sets on Sunday, and will meet Sebastian Korda next
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A quarter-finalist at Hard Rock Stadium in 2021, Korda will take on Gael Monfils after the veteran Frenchman outlasted Spain’s Jaume Munar, 7-5 5-7 7-6(1), in a 2 hour 38 minute battle.
The 38-year-old fed off the fans’ energy to secure his 3rd consecutive deciding-set win in Miami, showing flashes of his vintage shot-making and superb defence.
Munar served for the match at 6-5 in the decider, but the Frenchman found a late surge to become the 2nd-oldest man to reach the round of 16 at ATP Masters 1000 level in series history, while he is the oldest man to reach the 4th-round in Miami tournament history.
“I’ve played so many matches, and I know it’s not easy to close out matches with a big atmosphere,” said Monfils, who won 11 of the final 12 points. “If you win the first point, it’s key. I was fortunate enough to return down the line, and come down to the net, and I caught him.”
“I knew at that moment, that point can be a game changer, and it was. Crowd getting involved and then it’s pure experience, and pure joy from my side as well.”
In front of a packed Butch Buchholz court, Monfils occasionally looked drained, only to rally back and outlast the Spaniard in long, gritty baseline exchanges.
Monfils and Munar played a total of 214 points, with the Frenchman holding his nerve in key moments to advance, after having spent 6 hours and 28 minutes on court already this week.
Grigor Dimitrov also made some history in Miami, winning his 100th ATP 1000 match on hard courts after beating Karen Khachanov, the 22nd seed, on Sunday
© Al Bello/Getty Images
Earlier, Grigor Dimitrov, the 14th seed from Bulgaria, conjured some more Miami magic to also hit an ATP Masters 1000 milestone.
The 2024 finalist dug deep for a 6-7(3) 6-4 7-5 win against Karen Khachanov, the 22nd seed from Russia, in a match full of high-octane baseline exchanges.
It was Dimitrov, though, who penetrated his opponent’s defence more frequently, completing his 3rd-round win at the Hard Rock Stadium having struck 46 winners to Khachanov’s 23.
With his 2 hour, 38 minute win, Dimitrov became the 4th active player to register 100 Masters 1000 hard-court wins, after Djokovic, with 271 wins, Monfils, at 108, and Stan Wawrinka on 100.
“It’s great. Last year I think I hit 100 wins indoors, now this,” said Dimitrov. “It’s beautiful I think every time you hit such a milestone. When I feel like I’m still able to compete, to do what I do out there on the court, everything else comes as a plus. That’s just another plus into the resume. I don’t take anything for granted, especially when I’m still able to compete against the younger guys and feel love for the game.”
Dimitrov will take on 31st seed Brandon Nakashima after the American brought David Goffin’s run to an end, 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3.
Earlier in the tournament, Goffin, ranked No 55, had upset Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the 2nd seed, 5-7 6-4 6-3.
