Jannik Sinner was at his best as he swept aside Frances Tiafoe in straight sets to set up a semi-final clash with Alexander Zverev.
The Italian is yet to drop a set at the Miami Open and Tiafoe won just four games in a 6-2 6-2 mauling in their quarter-final.
Sinner’s dominance was praised by Martina Navratilova as he broke early in both sets against Tiafoe, where he rarely looked troubled.
Navratilova was not the only former professional to praise Sinner, as Brad Gilbert was lost for words at what he saw from Sinner against Tiafoe.
Brad Gilbert stunned by Jannik Sinner’s fast starts
Sinner broke in his first game in both sets against Tiafoe, which put him in the driving seat to earn a place in the semi-finals.
Gilbert believes Sinner’s fast starts to matches are not by chance and it’s actually a tactical play from the world number two.
Can anyone stop Jannik Sinner from winning the Sunshine Double?
Speaking on social media, Andy Murray’s former coach said: “What Sinner does to start matches is beautiful to watch. [He] makes so many high percentage balls and puts tons of returns in play.
“[It] put tons of pressure on you without [him] taking big risks, hence running downhill right out the gate.”
Sinner has dropped just 26 games so far at the Miami Open, with Alex Michelsen challenging the Italian the most so far at the event. The American managed to take 11 games from Sinner in a straight sets loss.
Why Jannik Sinner will be confident he can make the Miami Open final
Sinner needs to get past Zverev to secure his place in the Miami Open final and keep his Sunshine Double hopes alive.
The Italian will be confident he can beat Zverev because he has not tasted defeat against the German since 2023.
Will Jannik Sinner overtake Carlos Alcaraz and become world number one? 🤔
If so, when will he do it?
Since a defeat at the 2023 US Open, Sinner has beaten Zverev in six straight matches, including three Masters events.
Despite the overwhelming recent history, Sinner only leads Zverev in their head-to-head with seven victories from their 11 matches.
Zverev won four of his first five matches against Sinner, which includes two Grand Slam wins against the Italian.
Nevertheless, Sinner will be confident he can get past a player he has so much recent success against.
