Tag: lobandsmash.com

<!–qv q:id=6m q:key=vcaa: As strange as it might seem compared to two weeks ago, the men's final of the 2026 Miami Open between Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka feels like the perfect ending to a tournament that got off to a rough start weather-wise and has turned out to be beautiful. –> As strange as…

<!–qv q:id=6m q:key=vcaa: Throughout his run at the 2026 Miami Open, Jiri Lehecka, who had a previous career-high ranking of 16, looked like a player who had spent most of the last few years in the top 10. He wasn't just skimming by good players; he was performing at a level that implied he could…

<!–qv q:id=6m q:key=vcaa: The top of the WTA tour is seemingly beginning to separate itself a bit from the rest of the field, at least until the clay-court season begins in April. Aryna Sabalenka is clearly No. 1, but the second-best player could be Coco Gauff or Elena Rybakina, depending on the day. That makes…

<!–qv q:id=6m q:key=vcaa: The first game of the quarterfinal match between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Miami Open was a lie. Gauff was broken, but that would be the last game she would lose in the set. –> The first game of the quarterfinal match between Coco Gauff and…

<!–qv q:id=6m q:key=vcaa: Jannik Sinner's cool and calm versus Frances Tiafoe's bombast always seemed like a mismatch heading into the quarterfinals of the 2026 Miami Open. Sure, the American got a victory off the Italian previously, but that was in 2021, which is centuries ago in terms of Sinner's ascension. For those who needed a…

<!–qv q:id=6m q:key=vcaa: No matter what happened in the 2026 Miami Open quarterfinal match between Martin Landaluce and Jiri Lehecka, both could leave the event thinking it had been a success. The Spaniard had jumped up 48 spots in the live ATP rankings even before playing the Czech. Lehecka had moved up, too, but not…

<!–qv q:id=6m q:key=vcaa: Whatever the outcome, the quarterfinal match between Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula at the 2026 Miami Open was bound to be a great match, offering different styles between the two excellent players. Rybakina's power against Pegula's nifty shot-making should have made for compelling tennis. –> Whatever the outcome, the quarterfinal match between…

<!–qv q:id=6m q:key=vcaa: Alex Michelsen was going to go all out to not make his fourth-round match of the Miami Open easy against ATP No. 2 Jannik Sinner. For much of the first set, he didn't, matching the Italian wizard shot for shot. Both players were putting on an impressive display of tennis. –> Alex…

<!–qv q:id=6m q:key=vcaa: Grazing the top of the net can be brutal for a player, and Victoria Mboko learned that once against in her quarterfinal match of the Miami Open against Karolina Muchova. With the first set tied at 5-all and with Mboko serving, Muchova hit a return that tapped the top of the net…

<!–qv q:id=6m q:key=vcaa: Taylor Fritz had chances entering his fourth-round match of the Miami Open against Jiri Lehecka to accomplish a couple of things. One was to get his 350th victory on the ATP at the same time he reached his 250th win on a hard court. What was clear from the start of the…