Dream Run Continues for Dutch Tennis Underdog in Miami: Final Spot Looms Thanks to Lucky Break

The impressive run of the last remaining unseeded pair in Miami continues, as they've now reached the semifinals. Austin Krajicek and Nikola Mektic were also dispatched in a grueling three-setter. Once again, the Dutch-Australian duo lost the first set to the American/Croatian pair but rallied back. After more than an hour and a half of play, they emerged victorious with a 6-3, 10-8 scoreline.

Thanks to a fortunate turn of events in another quarterfinal, a spot in the Grand Final of the doubles tournament is now within reach. The third-seeded duo has also been eliminated from the tournament in an upset. Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski couldn't capitalize on Harrison's home advantage and had to concede defeat to the Italian pair Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. The Italians were only seeded seventh, making them, on paper, a more favorable opponent than Skupski and Harrison.

The semifinal clash against the Italians for Arends and his Australian doubles partner is scheduled for Friday evening at 7:30 PM. In this match, the four tennis players will not only be vying for a spot in the final but also for a substantial prize purse. By reaching the final four, the pairs are already guaranteed to split over 115,000 euros. This is a significant jump from the quarter-finals, where the prize money stood at 58,000 euros.

In the other semifinal of the Masters tournament in the United States, the top-seeded pair Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos will face the fourth-seeded duo Harri Heliovaara/Henry Patten. This means there are no Americans left in the doubles draw, which certainly changes the dynamic of playing 'in the lion's den'.