Roger Federer didn't even get on court in Key Biscayne and Rafael Nadal retired in the opening round, but their surprise Miami exits meant big opportunities for the two underdogs who stepped into their shoes.
Damir Dzumhur, a 23-year-old Bosnian ranked No. 94, almost quit in the heat himself before deciding to play on against Nadal, who became dizzy and ill in the stifling conditions and retired at 3-0 down in the third set.
"I was thinking really about retirement, but just said to myself, ‘I'm playing big Rafa.’” Dzumhur, who called the trainer over during the first set, said. “‘I'm not having a chance to play every day [against] these big guys. I want to enjoy this moment.’"
He said he tried not to react too much upon winning because of the circumstances, though it was difficult to keep it in.
"Inside of me I felt really proud after everything," he said. "I think [about] all the fighting that I had through all the years back, and today I didn't want to retire and I wanted to fight. That paid off."
Born during the war in Bosnia, the right-hander was evacuated as a newborn and spent his first years in the midst of conflict. He has twice reached the third round of a Grand Slam, and described the streets in his country as deserted while the nation watched him play his idol, Roger Federer, at the French Open.
But this was his biggest win, and it received plenty of attention back home.
"I mean, even though they knew that I'm playing Rafa, that was big for them,” Dzumhur said. “But now it's even bigger … After I won this match, I got tons of messages from all over Bosnia [and] Herzegovina. Of course, [I] called first my mom and dad. So happy."
Horacio Zeballos, who had fallen in qualifying and was getting ready to leave to play a Challenger tournament, got into the draw when Federer withdrew. The 30-year-old defeated countryman Juan Martin del Potro and then won against Fernando Verdasco in a dramatic third set in which he fought off cramps and a match point.
"Winning that match today was the equivalent of playing seven Challengers in terms of points and winnings," said Zeballos, who once defeated Nadal in the final of a clay-court event in South America. "...The stands were full. It was my first time beating Verdasco, so it was huge for me."
But he revealed that he was distracted during the match because his wife is due with their first child in a couple of weeks.
"The other day, when I spoke to her when I was playing Delpo, she told me she was so nervous, and today [it] was 7-6 [in the] third set,” he told the press in Key Biscayne. “So I was worried that she’d get nervous and give birth.
“I am having a great time here, but I also want the baby to be born already and experience that moment of becoming a father. Hoping she can hang on a few more days."
If his wife does give birth, however, he said he will leave the tournament for a moment that is "worth 100,000 finals."
His winnings in qualifying would have been just around $3,500, but he will now get more than $67,000.
He takes on David Goffin next, while Dzumhur plays Mikhail Kukushkin, a qualifier who is No. 90 in the rankings.