Second seed Jannik Sinner staged a remarkable comeback at the Miami Open, fighting back from the brink to secure a gritty 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Tallon Griekspoor, advancing to the fourth round on Sunday.
In contrast, defending champion and third seed Daniil Medvedev had a relatively straightforward match, defeating Briton Cameron Norrie 7-5, 6-1.
The highly anticipated final between Sinner and top seed Carlos Alcaraz appeared to be in jeopardy when Griekspoor, known for his powerful shots, claimed the opening set and served for a 6-5 lead in the second.
However, Sinner, showing the resilience that has earned him Grand Slam success, came through in the crucial moments. He secured his first break of the match when it mattered most, going up 6-5, and then held serve to level the contest at 1-1.
Having survived a scare, the Italian seized control of the match. He broke Griekspoor early in the third set and broke again to take a commanding 5-1 lead before serving out the match with a forehand winner into an open court.
"I think even the first set was really close, but it went away,” said Sinner, who will next play the winner of the match between Chris O’Connell and Martin Damm. "Mentally, I tried to stay strong, which I did, and I was in a tough situation today.
"It’s been a tough day for me, but very happy about the result."
There was no escape for sixth-seeded Dane Holger Rune who was swept aside 6-1, 6-1 by Fabian Marozsan in 59 minutes.
The Hungarian, known for his delicate touch and one of the best drop shots in the game, struck 23 winners and converted all five of his break opportunities while Rune was 0-3 on his chances.
Ranked 57th, danger man Marozsan is quickly developing a reputation as a giant killer, having last year knocked off then-world No. 2 Alcaraz in the third round of the Rome Masters, which was widely rated as the upset of the year.
The 24-year-old also took down eighth seed Casper Ruud at the Shanghai Masters, reaching at least the last 16 in all three Masters 1000 events he has played.
Blocking Marozsan's path to the fourth round is Australian Alexei Popyrin, who advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Czech Jiri Lehecka.
"It is a great feeling to play at the highest level," Marozsan told reporters. "I try to play my best tennis and today against a top-10 player and I am enjoying my time here."
After Americans Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Frances Tiafoe all exited in the second round, Ben Shelton is the top-seeded U.S. player left in the draw, the 16th seed making the third round with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Spanish wild card Martin Landaluce.
