The relentless rain that drenched Miami forced a sudden shift in the schedule, pushing Wednesday’s night session into Thursday. Amid the dripping lights and soggy courts, a slate of high-stakes matches built anticipation for a dramatic late-stage run. The night session produced a marquee collision between Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and American Taylor Fritz, a fresh quarterfinals duel that would test the growing rivalry between two top-ranked young stars. Nearby, Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova readied herself for a stern test against Czech Petra Kvitova, as both sides aimed to prove their mettle on the difficult, weather-affected surface.
Rain remained the dominant storyline in Miami, with Tuesday’s schedule delayed for more than three hours before the day’s play could resume. Two of the four planned Wednesday matches managed to dodge the worst of the forecast, delivering memorable moments as players adapted to late starts and tight windows. Sorana Cirstea of Romania upended Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus to march back into the semifinals of the WTA 1,000 event for the first time since 2010. On the men’s side, Italy’s Jannik Sinner secured a commanding win over Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori, underscoring the Italian’s bid to stay firmly in the championship conversation.
The match between Sinner and Ruusuvuori unfolded with intense pressure, slipping into a lengthy rain delay of roughly two hours that tested course management and player focus. Yet Sinner found his rhythm and closed out the set sequence 6-3, 6-2, cementing his place in the Miami semifinals. With victory in one of the week’s most physically demanding journeys, Sinner continues a recent pattern of deep runs in major hard-court events, signaling a sustained ascent toward the world’s elite. He carried confidence into the next phase, suggesting a potential return to the top ten on the horizon as the calendar moved into another adjustments phase for the rankings.
The evening’s closer on Center Court pitted Alcaraz against Fritz, marking a first-ever meeting between the two rising stars. The world No. 1 from Murcia navigated a path to the quarterfinals by defeating Argentine Facundo Bagnis, Serbian Dusan Lajovic, and Tommy Paul, a sequence that also featured Fritz avenging a prior defeat in Montreal last year. The upcoming clash promised a test of serve, return, and tactical adaptability, with the winner advancing to a semifinal lineup that already included strong contenders. The Spaniard faced Francisco Cerúndolo in the next round, while Cerúndolo looked ahead to a challenging pairing against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev. Other quarterfinals lined up for Thursday included a meeting between Karen Khachanov and Christopher Eubanks, highlighting a mix of veteran grit and young breakout potential that has characterized this season’s hard-court swing.
In the women’s bracket, American players Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula had already secured semifinal bids, underscoring the host nation’s strong presence on the combined tour. The day’s other drama pitted Petra Kvitova against Ekaterina Alexandrova for a spot in the semis, a clash that would determine one half of the women’s final-four field. Awaiting the winners in the other branch was Sorana Cirstea, whose late surge added an additional layer of suspense to the event as rain continued to influence scheduling and momentum. Across both draws, the Miami Open schedule demonstrated how weather can recalibrate momentum, forcing players to adapt quickly and seize opportunities when the court finally allows meaningful play — a trend that evaluators and fans noted with keen interest.