Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Kevin Anderson of South Africa (not pictured) during the men’s quarter-finals at Miami Open Tennis. (Source: AP) Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Kevin Anderson of South Africa (not pictured) during the men’s quarter-finals at Miami Open Tennis. (Source: AP) Ashleigh Barty waited six hours to get her spot in the Miami Open women’s final. Denis Shapovalov needed to pull off yet another comeback to earn his berth into the semifinals. Roger Federer, meanwhile, made winning seem relatively easy. And Simona Halep’s chance to return to No. 1 in the world fell apart against Karolina Pliskova. Federer is back in the Miami semifinals, the No. 4 seed winning the first eight games of his match and eventually ousting sixth-seeded Kevin Anderson 6-0, 6-4 as part of a very long, very soggy Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium. He won a marathon ninth game of the final set to break Anderson for a 5-4 lead, then served it out at love. “I got a bit lucky there at the end,” Federer said. “But it was a great fight by Kevin and of course I enjoyed the match.” Anderson hadn’t lost a set 6-0 since October 2016 – 353 sets ago. He rallied from a break down to get back on serve in the second, before Federer took control at the end. “They just don’t happen often enough,” Federer said of that 6-0 first set. “I think I played a really, solid, nice first set with very few mistakes.” Mistakes doomed Halep, who lost to fifth-seeded Pliskova 7-5, 6-1. Pliskova was up 5-0 in the second set when play was interrupted – for at least the sixth time Thursday – by rain shortly before midnight. Halep, the No. 2 seed, would have replaced Naomi Osaka as the top-ranked women’s player if she won the semifinal. She led 5-3 in the opening set, and just unraveled. Pliskova won nine consecutive games before the skies opened during a changeover. After waiting about an hour for the rain to stop and the court to be dried, she needed only four more minutes of play and finished out the match at 1:11 a.m. – or 6:11 a.m. Friday in her native Czech Republic, 7:11 a.m. Friday in Halep’s native Romania. So the day’s winners were Federer, Shapovalov, Barty, Pliskova and the rain. “We can’t control the weather,” Barty said. Barty walked away from tennis about five years ago, saying she was basically burned out at 17. She returned three years ago. And now at 22, she’s better than ever. The 12th-seeded Barty endured enduring three rain delays on Thursday before ousting 21st-seeded Anett Kontaveit 6-3, 6-3 in the first women’s semifinal. Next up is the biggest final of her singles career, against Pliskova. “Obviously, I’ve been doing the right things throughout the week to put be able to put myself in a position to play for a title,” Barty said. “You have to go out there and embrace it.” Barty, who will rise to a career-best No. 9 in the world ranking next week, was to take the court for the semifinal against Kontaveit at 1 p.m. Rain pushed their start time back to 2:08, and the delays were just getting started. They got three games – six minutes of tennis – in before the first in-match delay stopped things for more than two hours. They got another game in before more rain arrived, prompting another two-hour delay. At 7:32 p.m., finally, Barty could celebrate. Kontaveit fended off one match point with a forehand drop shot, but was ousted by an ace on the following point. Barty was down 3-1 in the second, but won the final five games. “Very long day,” said Barty, who passed the time in the locker room by drinking coffee and watching golf. “But for me, it’s an opportunity to come out and play another match.” Federer is 37 years old. That’s the combined age of the two Canadian teens in the men’s semifinals – Shapovalov, 19, will face Federer on Friday night, and the 18-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime will meet defending Miami champion John Isner of the U.S. earlier Friday. “It’s great for the game because they will carry the sport when we’re long gone and we’ll be sitting on the couch watching those guys slug it out,” Federer said about the young Canadians. “It’ll be a joy to watch because not only are they great, great players but they’re good people, too.” Shapovalov reached the semifinals by beating 28th-seeded Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2 – the third time in four matches at this tournament that he rallied from a set down before prevailing. And the success for Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov in Miami follows the story of 18-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu winning the title at Indian Wells earlier this month. O, Canada, indeed. “Pretty crazy. Everyone is super excited back home,” said Auger-Aliassime, who wasn’t in the top 100 of the world rankings two months ago and now will climb to No. 33 next week – if not higher. “It’s great to hear all these good comments from them. It puts a lot of belief in tennis in Canada. I think all the Canadian players from the young kids to Denis and Bianca and I, there is a lot of belief right now, so it’s great to see.”<doc-sep>The 22-year-old Aussie Ashleigh Barty has won the biggest title in a career in Miami, defeating the 5th seed Karolina Pliskova 7-6, 6-3 in an hour and 39 minutes. After losing in the final in Sydney and the quarter-final at the Australian Open to Petra Kvitova, the Ipswich native has gone all the way at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, lifting the fourth WTA singles title and by far the most significant one so far. With those points, Ashleigh will find her name in the top-10 on Monday for the first time, becoming the only player in the world ranked inside the elite group in both singles and doubles, a true testimony of her talent and skills. After winning the title in Brisbane, Pliskova has been very consistent in the other events as well but will have to wait for another opportunity to win the next WTA title, losing to Barty for the third time in five matches and leaving the Aussie as the 14th different champion in 14 WTA tournaments so far in 2019! Barty delivered stunning performance behind the initial shot, dropping 16 points in ten service games, blasting 15 aces and facing only two break points! Pliskova managed to convert one at the start of the match to grab an early lead but that was all we saw from her, falling behind in the tie break and suffering two breaks in set number two to propel the Aussie over the finish line. The Czech lost 45% of the points behind the initial shot, halted by Barty who created nine break chances, converting three to control the scoreboard and bringing the win home with 41 winners and just 22 unforced errors! Pliskova drew first blood with a break in game three when Ashleigh netted a backhand, opening a 3-1 lead before squandering it in game six when Barty landed a forehand down the line winner to pull the break back and level the score at 3-3. Both players served well in the remaining six games to set up a tie break where the Aussie kept focus and stamina on a high level, scoring three mini-breaks for a 7-1 after 52 minutes. Carried by this boost, Ashleigh lost just two points on serve in set number two, something Pliskova could never match, and her triumph was never in doubt. We saw almost 15 deuces on Karolina's serve in the opening two service games and despite trailing only one break there was no way back for her after that dreadful return stats, allowing Barty to score a break at love in game nine and seal the deal in the biggest final she has played so far.<doc-sep>The Czech fifth seed will meet Ashleigh Barty in Saturday's final, after the 12th seeded Australian beat Estonia's Anett Kontaveit 6-3 6-3 in the other semi-final on a day that tested the patience with a seemingly endless number of rain delays. Pliskova and Romanian Halep played a tight first set, which Pliskova eventually clinched with some outstanding court coverage as she used her long reach to chase down a series of shots by Halep that would have been winners against many a player. Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic celebrates her victory over Simona Halep of Romania in the semi finals of the women's singles of the Miami Open on March 28, 2019 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Image credit: Getty Images Roland-Garros ‘Fills me with sadness’ - Halep withdraws from French Open 21/05/2021 AT 10:14 Suitably buoyed, Pliskova raced through the second set and was on the brink of victory, up 5-0 when another shower sent the players to the locker room as the clock struck midnight. They eventually returned an hour later for Pliskova to close it out in a near-empty arena. Simona Halep of Romania walks off after her match against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic during day eleven of the Miami Open tennis on March 28, 2019 in Miami Gardens, Florida Image credit: Getty Images Earlier, Barty was forced to wait out an hour-long rain delay before her match and when it started she and 21st seed Kontaveit were only on the court for about five minutes before weather halted play again. They returned about two-and-a-half hours later to play one more game and then headed back to the locker room for a third rain delay, this time for two hours. Barty finally secured the win with an ace on her second match point, six-and-a-half hours after the original scheduled start. Ashleigh Barty of Australia celebrates defeating Anett Kontaveit of Estonia during day eleven of the Miami Open tennis on March 28, 2019 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Image credit: Getty Images "I have been here for 12 hours today, but really happy with the way I was able to come out after the rain delays and kind of get on the front foot pretty early," said Barty, 22, who has three career titles. "I did the best with what I had and was able to get out of some tight service games at crucial times and get a bit of a roll on." ATP Rome Injuries, upsets and champions rising - What did we learn from Italian Open? 16/05/2021 AT 23:14<doc-sep>
Australia's Ashleigh Barty celebrates match point to beat Czech Karolina Pliskova in the WTA Miami Open final Australia's Ashleigh Barty celebrates match point to beat Czech Karolina Pliskova in the WTA Miami Open final (AFP Photo/JULIAN FINNEY) Miami (AFP) - Ashleigh Barty's transformation is complete after the Australian defeated Czech fifth seed Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7/1) 6-3 Saturday to win the biggest singles title of her career at the WTA Miami Open. The 22-year-old Aussie quit tennis five years ago after finding the mental grind of the tour too much to bear, turning to professional cricket in a bid to find sporting happiness. Barty, however, knew she had the tennis skills to compete at the very top and after returning in February 2016, has taken her career to an elite level, culminating in her first-ever WTA Premier Mandatory title to follow on from the US Open doubles crown she won last September. Barty, a junior Wimbledon winner at age 15, will rise from 11th to number nine in the world rankings and become the first Australian woman since Sam Stosur in June 2013 to crack the top 10. "It feels like it's a long time ago now since I took the break and since I came back," said Barty, who also reached the doubles semi-finals at the Hard Rock Stadium with Victoria Azarenka. "It's been a few years now, but I certainly feel like I'm a very different person. I feel like I'm a more complete player, I'm a better player. "I was an average cricketer and I'm becoming a better tennis player. "I feel like when I play my best, I'm good enough to match it with the very best in the world." Barty hit 15 aces and 41 winners compared to 22 from an out-of-sorts Pliskova. "I had to keep it physical, make as many balls as possible and keep my running shoes on," Barty said. Barty's victory means that for the first time ever there have been 14 different winners in 14 WTA events so far this season. Pliskova, who will rise to fourth in the rankings despite a disappointing final, badly struggled with her serve and movement, off the pace mentally and physically after reaching the quarter-finals or better in her five prior tournaments this year. Story continues "She played well and I was super tired," said the Czech. "The conditions were different to the night matches I played. For sure I could play better but she went for it in the tie-break. "The first set was key for the match and one I should have won.It was tough to fight in the second." The 27-year-old Czech , who beat Barty 6-4, 6-4 in the round of 16 at last year's US Open, came into the final with 31 aces, most in the women's draw, but she won only 65% of points on her first serve compared to 86% from Barty. "She served great," said Pliskova who defeated Simona Halep in the semi-finals and denied the Romanian the chance to reclaim the world number one ranking. - 'Amazing fortnight' - When the Australian double faulted at 1-1 to hand Pliskova an early break, it wasn't the start Barty sought and more errors in the following game allowed Pliskova to extend her lead. Barty then began to settle down and crisply struck a forehand winner to break Pliskova for the first time. The Aussie started superbly in the tie-breaker, moving 5-1 ahead before Pliskova hit long to seal the set for Barty, who broke early in the second set to signal it would be her day. "It's been an amazing fortnight of tennis and it's pretty cool to have played a good match on such a big stage. "It was always going to be a match of small opportunities so getting the first set was massive. "There were zero expectations coming into this tournament, I just saw it as an opportunity to get better every day but I have grabbed my chance with both hands. "I am proud of myself," she said.