Miami Open preview, men's semifinals: Carlos Alcaraz vs. Hubert Hurkacz; Casper Ruud vs. Francisco Cerundolo

MIAMI HIGHLIGHTS: Alcaraz scrapes past Kecmanovic

Casper Ruud vs. Francisco Cerundolo

February is usually the month when the Cerundolo brothers come out to play. The two Argentines, Francisco and Juan Manuel, have become fixtures during the South American red-clay swing. This year was no different, as Francisco, the older of the pair, reached the semifinals in Rio and the quarters in Buenos Aires. Normally, we wouldn’t expect to see the two dirt-ballers again until next February, but here Francisco is in March, having the best week of his career, on Miami hard courts. He has wins over Reilly Opelka, Gael Monfils, and Frances Tiafoe; now the world No. 103 will face the sixth-seeded Ruud.

These two 23-year-olds have never played each other, though Cerundolo may have the advantage in the familiarity department, because he says he has watched Ruud “thousands of times on TV.” Cerundolo has also shown off a lethal forehand in Miami, but that won’t give him much of an advantage over Ruud, who has one of the tour’s best. Like Cerundolo, Ruud is a natural clay-courter, but whatever the surface, it feels like the right time for him to reach his first Masters 1000 final. Winner: Ruud

Carlos Alcaraz vs. Hubert Hurkacz

What is Alcaraz going to do for an encore after his sizzling quarterfinal win over Miomir Kecmanovic? You could ask the same question pretty much every time the Spaniard walks out to play a match these days. Each of his performances seems like something special and impossible to duplicate—until he does it again. So far in Miami, Alcaraz has lit up the Grandstand in a win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, and then brought his act to the big stage in Hard Rock Stadium against Kecmanovic. In both of those matches, the teenager had the crowd firmly, and loudly, behind him, and he should again on Friday night.

Hurkacz hasn’t been as popular, or as high-profile, as Alcaraz in Miami. But he has a win over the top seed, Daniil Medvedev, and he’s still the defending champion. The Pole and the Spaniard have never played, and they’ll bring different looks and styles to their first meeting. Alcaraz is faster and hits harder, but Hurkacz has a height and serve advantage, and there’s a disruptive quality to his sometimes awkward-looking game. It’s just Alcaraz has a knack for getting himself back on track at exactly the right time. Winner: Alcaraz