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By Chris Oddo | Friday March 31, 2017

Roger Federer came through a three-set thriller with Aussie Nick Kyrgios to book his spot alongside longtime rival Rafael Nadal in the Miami Open final. The 7-6(9), 6-7(9), 7-6(5) victory for the Swiss marked the second time that the pair have played three sets of tiebreakers in a match. Kyrgios won the first one in Madrid, and it was one of the matches where the young, brash Aussie announced himself as a future star of the game.

More: Miami Open Men's Semis Live Blog, Sponsored by Tecnifibre

Despite his loss tonight, Kyrgios proved that he’s followed through on that promise. Polarizing, controversial and over emotional at times, yes, but Kyrgios is as talented as they come and he gave an in-form Federer everything he could handle on this night.

“Here we go again,” said Federer after the match. “Six sets, six breakers.”

Federer rallied from a break down in the opening set, breaking for 5-all on a Kyrgios double-fault then earning a set point with Kyrgios serving at 5-6.

Kyrgios saved that break point, and he saved two more set points in the tiebreaker before yielding on the 20th point when his backhand sailed wide.

The Aussie saved two break points early in the second set and then saved a pair of match points in the breaker before converting his third set point of the tiebreaker to level (also on the 20th point).

In the deciding set there wasn’t a break point to be found. Kyrgios went up a mini-break in the tiebreaker but Federer battled back. The Swiss calmly volleyed a 118 MPH forehand right at his body for a clean winner to level at 4-all, and two points later he somehow handled a 127 MPH second serve and won the point to draw even at 5-all.

Kyrgios tried the same tactic on the next point, but his 128 MPH second serve sailed long, giving Federer third match point.

He handled it well, firing a serve out wide that Kyrgios couldn’t handle on the backhand side.


Federer stretches his win streak to ten and improves to 18-1 on the season. Two of those victories have come against Rafael Nadal, his opponent in Sunday’s final.

The pair played the first two of their 36 meetings in Miami, with Nadal winning a third-round match in 2004 and Federer defeating Nadal in the final in 2005.

“He should have Miami titles,” said Federer of Nadal, who has lost all four of his finals at the event, “and he doesn’t. It’s going to be super-special to be playing him in the finals.”

 

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