Roger Federer advances to Miami quarterfinals

Roger Federer is closing in on a fourth Miami Open title.

The 37-year-old Swiss star moved into the quarterfinals with a swift 6-4 6-2 dismissal of rising Russian Daniil Medvedev. Federer only lost 11 points on serve in the 61-minute match.

One step closer to 101…@rogerfederer d. Medvedev 6-4 6-2 and is now 51-0 on hard courts when he wins the first set in a Masters 1000 fourth round ????#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/LMCWTj2S34

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 27, 2019

Federer, who won the Miami title in 2005, 2006 and 2017, now faces sixth seed Kevin Anderson in the final eight. Federer owns a 5-1 career record against the South African, with his only loss coming in last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinals when Anderson saved a match point to win in five sets.

“I think it’s going to be a bit tricky. He’s got a great serve, so you go back to big-serve mentality to try to hold your own service games first before thinking about how to break Kevin,” Federer said.

“But I think I’m feeling really good. Today’s match I can be really happy with. I hope it’s going to give me some confidence for tomorrow.”

Federer, who made his first Masters-level quarterfinal in Miami as a 19-year-old in 2001, owns a 6-4 win-loss record in Miami quarterfinals.

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Defending champion John Isner continued his winning run, returning to the semifinals with a 7-6(1) 7-6(5) victory over Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut. Isner hit 24 aces in his victory over the No.22 seed, who had stunned world No.1 Novak Djokovic in the fourth round.

The No.7-seeded Isner faces Canadian teen Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinals.

Qualifier Auger-Aliassume, currently ranked No.57, advanced with a 7-6(3) 6-2 win over No.11 seed Borna Coric. It moves the 18-year-old into his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal, a performance which is projected to boost his ranking to inside the world’s top 40.

? Youngest to reach #MiamiOpen SF
? 5-0 career record v top 20 players

???????? @felixtennis is making history in Miami, d. Coric 7-6(3) 6-2 pic.twitter.com/63dVwS2hLn

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 28, 2019