Lehečka Reaches First Masters 1000 Final at Miami

Jiří Lehečka advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 final on Friday by routing 28th-seeded Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The 24-year-old Czech, seeded 21st, extended his unbeaten run through the tournament without dropping serve, setting up a championship match against world No. 2 Jannik Sinner on Sunday.

Lehečka's dominant performance lasted just 75 minutes, as he broke Fils in the opening game when the Frenchman's running forehand struck the net. He converted four of 10 break points overall, fired six aces and committed no double faults, while winning 82 percent of his first-serve points. Fils, who had saved four match points in his quarterfinal comeback against Tommy Paul, struggled to find rhythm, accumulating 19 unforced errors and three double faults. "Disappointed in the loss today, could’ve done better," Fils said afterward. "It was completely different in Doha. I came in with a fresh mind, fresh everything. It was tough for me to find a rhythm."

The victory marked Lehečka's most significant achievement yet, avenging a straight-sets loss to Fils in February's Qatar Open quarterfinals and leveling...