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Hubert Hurkacz will continue his title defense in Miami against World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
The Pole breezed past Lloyd Harris 7-6(3), 6-2 in one hour and 29 minutes to keep his challenge at the Masters 1000 event alive.
Daniil Medvedev, who suffered an early exit at the Indian Wells Masters, overcame young American Jensen Brooksby 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the last eight. The Russian is now just one win away from reclaiming the World No. 1 spot from Novak Djokovic.
As Medvedev and Hurkacz gear up to face each other for a place in the semifinals in Miami, let’s look at three things the Pole needs to do to topple the marauding Russian.
#1 Hubert Hurkacz needs to step up his return game
Daniil Medvedev has one of the biggest first serves on the men's tour. The World No. 2 keeps things relatively simple on serve and hits his spots consistently. He has the ability to rush through his service games, thereby piling the pressure on his opponents.
However, if his serve comes back into play, the Russian can be quite vulnerable. Hubert Hurkacz is not a great returner per se, so he will need to elevate that aspect of his game on Thursday and find a way to put the ball back into play.
He should take a leaf out of Rafael Nadal’s book and stand deep behind the baseline to try and return Medvedev’s huge first serve. The Pole should also look to keep Medvedev guessing by changing his return position as often as he can, especially during second serves.
#2 Hurkacz should move forward as frequently as he can and change the pace of the rallies
Medvedev enjoys standing deep behind the baseline and playing long rallies. His court position makes it hard for opponents to hit through him, but it does leave the Russian vulnerable to net approaches.
Hurkacz, on his part, should look to move forward at every opportunity and finish points at the net. The defending champion should not hesitate to serve and volley, considering how far back Medvedev stands to return serve.
Hurkacz should also look to hit drop shots and slices to change the pace of rallies, thereby throwing Medvedev out of his comfort zone.
Medvedev is not comfortable at the net, so drawing the Russian forward could be the key to Hurkacz's success.
#3 Hurkacz should stay patient in baseline exchanges and avoid pulling the trigger too early
Medvedev is relentless from the back of the court. He has incredible speed and court coverage, and a watertight defense. Putting an extra ball back in play is a feature of Medvedev’s game. Although he struggles to hit clean winners, he has an uncanny knack for inducing errors from his opponents.
Hurkacz too likes to play a more defensive game, but he will probably have to be a lot more proactive against Medvedev. But that does not mean going for broke on every shot. The Pole must stay composed from the baseline and construct the points efficiently before pulling the trigger.
Hurkacz has beaten Medvedev in the past, so he knows what it takes to topple the Russian. Whether he can get all the aspects of his game firing in unison remains to be seen.
Also Check Out: Miami Open 2022 Results
