Jannik Sinner set to compete against Jiri Lehecka in the men’s final of the Miami Open.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Jannik Sinner missed the Miami Open last year due to a three-month suspension following a positive test for a prohibited substance.
Now, the 24-year-old Italian is on the brink of securing his second Miami Open title in three years and could become the first male player to achieve the “Sunshine Double” since Roger Federer in 2017.
The second-ranked Sinner surged into the Miami Open final with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) victory over No. 4 Alexander Zverev on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
Sinner, who delivered 15 aces, has defeated Zverev seven consecutive times and has achieved a record 32 straight sets won at an ATP Masters 1000 event. A hardcourt specialist, Sinner claimed the first leg of the Sunshine Double on March 15 by defeating Daniil Medvedev in Indian Wells.
Sinner is expected to be a strong favorite when he competes against 21st-seeded Jiri Lehecka in Sundayβs final. He has won 11 consecutive matches in Miami dating back to 2024. Although he won the 2024 Miami Open, he was unable to defend his title.
Despite this, Zverev was the crowd favorite, receiving enthusiastic cheers for points he won during the second set.
When the 6-foot-6 German had a break point leading 4-3 in the second set, the stadium erupted with noise. However, Zverev was unable to convert, hitting a backhand into the net as Sinner managed to escape. In the second-set tiebreaker, Sinner lost the initial point but fired two consecutive aces to take a 2-1 lead, and it concluded shortly after when a Zverev service return went long.
Sinner achieved his first-set break at 2-1. After a lengthy rally, he moved in and executed an overhead winner for break point, then followed up with a beautiful forehand winner down the line to extend the score to 3-1.
Sinner holds a 3-0 career advantage against Lehecka, having last defeated him at the 2025 French Open.
Lehecka reached the most significant ATP final of his emerging career by dominating 28th seed Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-2 in the early semifinal. Lehecka’s fellow Czech, Jakub Mensik, won the Miami Open last year.
This will mark Lehecka’s first appearance in an ATP Masters 1000 final.
“Today was a great match,” Lehecka stated. “Definitely brought me a lot of confidence going into the Sunday final. I must say that it was one of the better matches that I played in my life,”
Lehecka, 24, broke Fils in the opening game, and the result never appeared to be in jeopardy. On match point, Lehecka served an ace and raised his arms in celebration. He concluded the match with six aces, no double faults, and did not face a break point throughout the tournament.
Source: espn.com
