Tennis: Alcaraz closes on ATP top 10 after Miami triumph

PARIS, France -- Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz moved to the brink of the ATP top 10 on Monday after winning the biggest title of his career so far at the Miami Open.

The 18-year-old gained five places in the latest rankings to climb to 11th spot, just behind Britain's Cameron Norrie.

Alcaraz beat Casper Ruud in the Miami final on Sunday.

Novak Djokovic retained the top ranking despite being unable to play in the United States last week.

The Serbian star only holds a slender advantage over Daniil Medvedev, although the Russian is now set for one to two months out of action due to a hernia.

ATP top 20

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 8,420 pts

2. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 8,410

3. Alexander Zverev (GER) 7,195 (+1)

4. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 7,115 (-1)

5. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 5,980

6. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 4,945

7. Casper Ruud (NOR) 4,380 (+1)

8. Andrey Rublev (RUS) 4,375 (-1)

9. Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 3,625

10. Cameron Norrie (GBR) 3,440 (+2)

11. Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) 3,411 (+5)

12. Jannik Sinner (ITA) 3,054 (-1)

13. Taylor Fritz (USA) 2,920

14. Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 2,873 (-4)

15. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,693 (-1)

16. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,580 (-1)

17. Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) 2,255 (+2)

18. Reilly Opelka (USA) 2,225

19. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 2,060 (-2)

20. Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 1,881

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Naomi Osaka breezes into last four at Miami

MIAMI -- Naomi Osaka moved into the Miami Open semi-finals with another impressive performance as an out-of-sorts American Danielle Collins was brushed aside at the Hard Rock Stadium on Tuesday.

The clinical Japanese star, yet to drop a set in this tournament, won 6-2, 6-1 and will meet Swiss Olympic gold medal winner Belinda Bencic in the last four.

Collins, who appeared to be struggling with a neck injury and has been suffering with a viral infection, will return to the top 10 when the rankings are released on Monday having briefly been there following her run to the Australian Open final earlier this year.

But Osaka, the four-time Grand Slam champion, has been in fine form in south Florida and on this evidence will take a lot of stopping if she is to be denied the title this weekend.

"I hope she is ok," said Osaka after her victory over the struggling Collins.

"This was my first night match so I didn't know what the conditions were like but I was fine and the fans were great," added Osaka who hit 12 aces in a match that lasted exactly one hour.

Bencic, the world number 28, who beat Australia’s Daria Saville 6-1,6-2, said: "I have played Osaka before, so I know how it feels to play her. 

"I'm really happy I achieved a great result here and everything else is a bonus. I'm going to enjoy and do the best I can."

In Wednesday’s remaining WTA quarter-finals, American Jessica Pegula will play Spain's Paula Badosa while Czech Petra Kvitova takes on world number one Iga Swiatek of Poland.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Medvedev, Sabalenka top seeds at ATP and WTA Miami Open

MIAMI -- Daniil Medvedev will try to reclaim the world number one ranking and top seed Aryna Sabalenka chases her first final in 10 months at the ATP and WTA Miami Open.

Men's play starts Wednesday and women's play begins Tuesday in the hardcourt tournament at Hard Rock Stadium, where highest seeds receive first-round byes.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic moved into the top spot of the rankings this week, bumping out reigning US Open champion Medvedev after a three-week stay following his third-round exit at Indian Wells.

The 26-year-old Russian, runner-up at the past two Australian Opens, would return to the top spot with a semi-final run at Miami.

Medvedev only reached his first Miami quarter-final last year, when he lost to Roberto Bautista Agut, so a last-four spot would mark a best-ever run in Miami.

And Medvedev has a potential second-round matchup with former world number one Andy Murray, provided the Briton gets past Argentina's Federico Delbonis.

Murray, a 34-year-old Scotsman and three-time Grand Slam champion, won the Miami crown in 2009 and 2013 but lost his only meeting with Medvedev in Brisbane in 2019.

Also in Medvedev's quarter of the draw is defending champion Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.

Germany's Alexander Zverev is the second seed with Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas third and Italy's Matteo Berrettini fourth.

Sabalenka, of Belarus, fell to fifth in this week's rankings and has not reached a WTA final since last May on Madrid clay.

Poland's Iga Swiatek is the second seed with Estonia's Anett Kontaveit third and Greece's Maria Sakkari fourth.

Australia's top-ranked Ashleigh Barty is not in the field, but former world number ones Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep are in the draw.

Romania's Halep could face Britain's 19-year-old Emma Raducanu, the reigning US Open champion, in the third round.

Japan's Osaka could meet Canada's 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up who ended Osaka's title defense last year at New York, in the third round.

Agence France-Presse