Bautista Agut Downs Isner, Moves into Quarterfinal Against Medvedev

By Daniel Perissé

Roberto Bautista Agut defeated John Isner and moved into the 2021 Miami Open presented by Itaú Men’s Singles quarterfinals, where he will now play World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev.

While the Spaniard defeated the Greensboro, NC, native 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(7) in two hours and 18 minutes, the Russian needed one hour and 32 minutes to beat Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-3.

Bautista Agut avenged his 2019 quarterfinal loss to Isner, who ended as a runner-up that year.

“I think I played a brilliant set the first set, and then with John you always feel under pressure. With two good shots he made the break with a backhand down the line, I remember. Well, and then the match changed, no? It was a really tough fight until the last point”, said the Spaniard, the seventh seed.

In the first set, Bautista Agut was able to break Isner’s serve in the fifth and ninth games to take the lead in 32 minutes. The American leveled by breaking the Spaniard’s serve in the fifth game and confirming his serves onward.

The third set went to a tie-break and both players saved match points. However, Bautista Agut made fewer mistakes and clinched the result.

With Isner’s loss, the Miami Open will have a first-time champion in the men’s draw. The American won the title in 2018.

Also on Grandstand, Medvedev prevailed against Tiafoe, who was looking for his biggest career win. The Russian was able to break the American’s serve in the tenth game to build advantage. The World No. 2 had eight winners and 13 unforced errors in 43 minutes of play.

During the second set, the World No.2 kept his good performance to clinch the result. Medvedev had 24 winners and 11 aces.

In the other top half quarterfinal, Italy’s Jannik Sinner squares off with Alexander Bublik, from Kazakhstan.

On Court 1, Sinner took down Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori 6-3, 6-2 in a clash between youngsters. This will be the 19-year-old Italian’s first Masters-level quarterfinal.

Bublik earned a comeback victory against Rancho Santa Fe, CA, native Taylor Fritz 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4. This season, he was a runner-up in the Antalya and Singapore tournaments. This will also be his first quarterfinal in a Masters 1000 event.