Dimitrov Advances to Miami Semifinals After Thrilling Match Against Cerundolo

The first men's singles quarterfinal of the Miami Masters 1000 took center stage. Last year's finalist in Florida, Grigor Dimitrov, faced Francisco Cerundolo in an intriguing clash between two players brimming with confidence during the tournament.

The Bulgarian had defeated Cina, Khachanov, and Nakashima en route to the quarterfinals, while the Argentine, on his end, eliminated Muller, Paul, and Ruud, reaching this stage in Miami for the third time in his career after 2022 (where he was stopped in the semifinals by Casper Ruud) and 2023.

The match lived up to its promise. On a court that had earlier seen Arthur Fils rally from a break down in the final set to defeat Alexander Zverev, Dimitrov once again showcased his impressive physical and mental resilience to turn the tide.

In the tightly contested first set, the two players traded blows for over an hour. Both solid on serve, Dimitrov and Cerundolo were ultimately decided by a tiebreak. After squandering seven set points, Dimitrov finally faltered, allowing the 24th-ranked player to take the lead and claim the first set.

In the second set, Dimitrov broke early and maintained his advantage to level the match. A decisive third set followed, mirroring the back-and-forth battle of the opening stages.

Cerundolo surged ahead 3-0, but the Bulgarian dug deep, broke back, and after saving a match point, had the final say in the tiebreak, winning it 7-3.

Dimitrov ultimately triumphed after 2 hours and 48 minutes (6-7, 6-4, 7-6), securing his 150th career win at the Masters 1000 level. He remains in contention for a second title in this tournament category after his 2017 Cincinnati victory.

He will face either Novak Djokovic or Sebastian Korda—whose match was postponed to Thursday—for a spot in the final, which would mark his second consecutive appearance in Florida after losing to Jannik Sinner in 2024.