MIAMI GARDENS: Novak Djok­ovic cruised into the quarter-finals of the Miami Open on Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Italian Lorenzo Musetti in one hour 22 minutes.

Musetti, the 15th seed from Tuscany, got off to a flying start to take a 2-0 lead in the first set but then proceeded to lose the next nine games as the Serb, looking confident and sharp, ran away with the game.

Djokovic has won the Miami Open on six occasions but has not featured in the quarters sin­ce his last victory here in 2016.

The 37-year-old is now just three wins away from winning his 100th tour-level title.

“It was tough, particularly in the first seven, eight games of the match, Djokovic said. “But I think breaking his serve to come back to two-all and break right away at 3-2, it was a momentum shift and I tried to use that.”

Djokovic will face American Sebastian Korda for a place in the semi-finals after the 24th seed beat French veteran Gael Monfils 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in a rain-affected match.

Korda visibly struggled with his wrist, however, and said after the match that he had been in discomfort with an injury that has caused him trouble in the past.

Korda later pulled out of his doubles match with partner Jordan Thompson.

Argentine Francisco Cerundolo upset fifth-seed Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-2 to take his place in the last eight.

Cerundolo failed to make the most of three break points in the opening game but eventually broke through at 3-3, converting his fourth break point of that game.

Next up for Cerundolo is 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov, who defeated American Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 7-5.

Australia’s Alex de Minaur was eliminated by tenth-seed Italian Matteo Berrettini who triumphed 6-3, 7-6(9/7).

Berrettini had the chance to close out the match when serving at 6-5 but let three match points slip and the match went into a tie-break.

De Minaur then had a great chance to force a deciding set when he was 6-3 up but was unable to convert the three set points and Berrettini was able to claw back victory.

The Italian will face third-seed Taylor Fritz who progressed with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Australia lucky loser Adam Walton.

SABALENKA, PAOLINI INTO SEMIS

On the women’s side, world number one Aryna Sabalenka and Italian sixth-seed Jasmine Paolini won their respective quarter-finals matches, paving the way for a semi-final clash.

Sabalenka battled back in the second set to blast her way into the semi-finals with a 6-2, 7-5 win over China’s Zheng Qinwen while Paolini saved seven of the eight break points she faced to defeat Magda Linette 6-3, 6-2.

“Always tough battles against her,” Sabalenka said after extending her head-to-head record against Zheng to 6-0. “Today I had to work really hard, especially in that second set. I’m really proud of the way I handled my emotions.”

Paolini, beaten in the finals at Wimbledon and the French Open last year, becomes the first Italian to make it to the last four in Miami.

It took just 77 minutes for Paolini to take care of business against Linette who had progressed into the quarters with a surprise win over Coco Gauff.

“I think I didn’t play bad this season but I just didn’t have a great result. But I was there. I lost many matches but to big opponents,” Paolini said. “Maybe I just needed a little more confidence and it came here maybe.”

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2025