- Polish player beats young Italian in straight sets
- Victory takes Hurkacz into world’s top 20
For the first time since November 2nd 2003, when Tim Henman closed off one of the great runs of his career by defeating Andrei Pavel to win the Paris Masters, two players ranked outside of the top 30 contested a ATP Masters 1000 Final on Sunday in Miami. The occasion offered a clear opportunity to whoever was bold enough to take it and it was Hubert Hurkacz of Poland who seized the moment wonderfully, outsmarting Italy’s Jannik Sinner 7-6 (4), 6-4 to win his first Masters 1000.
Even in a tournament that marked the first time in 17 years since Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were all absent from a Masters 1000 event, Hurkacz’s sublime run was a surprise. The 24-year-old arrived in Miami in unremarkable form and while he is still a young player building his game, he has spent his time at the top of the sport on the periphery of discussions about his generation as contemporaries like Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas established themselves in the top 10.
Related: Barty beats injured Andreescu to claim Miami Open title for second time
