BBC Online :
Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz will play Casper Ruud in the Miami Open final today after beating Poland’s defending champion Hubert Hurkacz for the biggest result of his flourishing career.
The 18-year-old won 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2) in just over two hours against Hurkacz to reach his first Masters 1000 final.
Alcaraz will become the tournament’s youngest ever champion if he beats Norway’s world number eight Ruud, 23.
“It’s something that you dream of when you are a child,” said Alcaraz.
Alcaraz trailed 5-3 in the first set tie-break but won four straight points. He then saved two break points at 5-5 in the second set before dominating the tie-break.
“I’m going to approach the final like a first round, trying to mask the nerves,” the world number 16 added. “I’m going to enjoy it, it’s going to be a great final.”
He won the ATP Next Gen Finals in November and then became the youngest ATP 500 champion with victory at the Rio Open in February.
Ruud also booked his place in his first Masters 1000 final with a comfortable victory over Francisco Cerundolo.
The Norwegian needed one hour and 34 minutes to wrap up a 6-4 6-1 win that moves him one victory away from a second tour title of the season.
Ruud got the decisive break of serve in the 10th game of the opening set. Argentina’s Cerundolo, ranked 103rd, was then outclassed in the second set.
Ruud had moved into the last four on the back of a three-set win over Alexander Zverev, while Cerundolo’s progress to the semi-finals on his Masters 1000 debut had been assisted by the respective retirements of Reilly Opelka and Jannik Sinner early in their matches because of injury.
