MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Carlos Alcaraz became the second-youngest Miami Open finalist ever, advancing to the title match by taking out defending champion Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets Friday night.
Alcaraz, the No. 14 seed who turns 19 on May 5, defeated eighth-seeded Hurkacz 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2) to advance to Sunday’s final, where he’ll face No. 6 seed Casper Ruud.
Rafael Nadal was about a month younger than Alcaraz is now when he made the Miami final; the tournament was called the NASDAQ-100 Open then and was played at Key Biscayne. Nadal lost a five-setter in the final that year to Roger Federer.
Alcaraz will vie for his second title of 2022 after winning the Rio Open in February. He has lost just one set during this tournament.
Ruud earned his spot in the final by defeating Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 6-1 in the first semifinal Friday. He will be playing in a Masters 1000-level final for the first time.
“It was a tough match, even though the scoreline said two straight sets,” Ruud said. “It was tough.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.