Medvedev, Kvitova win in semis at Miami Open

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida: Daniil Medvedev hasn’t won a title in the United States since capturing the 2021 US Open, when he turned away Novak Djokovic’s bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam. Now the Miami Open’s No. 4 seed is one victory from a fresh American title, beating fellow Russian Karen Khachanov 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals Friday, the same day Wimbledon announced Russians will be allowed back — with conditions.

The other men’s semifinal is Friday night between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. If Alcaraz wins, it’ll set up a rematch of the Indian Wells final; Alcaraz beat Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 on March 19. Also Friday, No.

15 seed Petra Kvitova beat unseeded Sorana Cirstea 7-5, 6-3 in the second women’s semifinal. Kvitova will face the red-hot Elena Rybakina in the final. Medvedev has won 23 of his last 24 matches — the lone loss to now-world No.

1 Alcaraz — and is in his fifth straight final. Medvedev has been friends with the 14th-seeded Khachanov since childhood, and they’re each fierce baseliners, with one rally lasting 31 shots. Medvedev needed a tiebreaker to win the first set, serving it out with the first of 13 aces in the match.

Proving a little more consistent in the second set, Khachanov forced a third by breaking Medvedev’s serve early to go up 2-0. But Medvedev owned the third, surviving an early breakpoint when Khachanov hit a loose backhand into the doubles alley for a rare unforced error. Medvedev broke Khachanov in the next game to go up 3-1 and a won a wondrous 26-shot rally on match point.