In fact, the road to the "Sunshine Double" clears a little more for Elena Rybakina (7th in the world), who is aiming for a double, in the wake of her title won at Indian Wells, that only four players have managed in the same year: Steffi Graf twice, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek.

The 23-year-old Kazakhstani, Wimbledon 2022 champion, who will first have to dismiss the American Jessica Pegula (3rd), perhaps imagined having to face a third time the Belarusian (2nd) in the final, after the one lost in Melbourne in January and her revenge taken ten days ago in California.

It will not be so, because Cirstea, modest 74th in the world, aged 32, whose best years were thought to be behind her (her best ranking, 23rd, dates back to 2013), was able to take advantage of a day without Sabalenka, winning 6-4, 6-4.

"Words fail me a little. I had anticipated a very difficult match. I tried to hold on. I'm very happy with my performance today, it's a bit unexpected to be honest," agreed the Romanian, who reached for only the second time the last four of a WTA 1000, category just below the Grand Slams, ten years after achieving it in Toronto, where Serena Williams had blocked the road to the final.

Sinner well committed

More constant and solid in the exchanges, Cirstea, who also had the scalp of Caroline Garcia (4th) in the 2nd round, took advantage of the feverishness of his opponent, betrayed by too many irregularities in his game, having generated a lot of nervousness, and vice versa.

Romania's Sorana Cirstea during her quarterfinal victory in Miami against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka on March 29, 2023 © CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Sabalenka had seemed to be making a lot of progress, in her ability to control her emotions even when things aren't going the right way, since her triumph in Melbourne, but she has fallen back into her ways, holding back several times from smashing her racquet to the ground.

After losing the first set, the Belarusian gave up her serve again at the beginning of the second, before finally recovering by breaking back. His power was finally coupled with a little precision. But it was only momentary, as she again gave in on her commitment, offering a new break to her rival on her sixth double fault.

In search of a third title on the circuit, Cirstea did not miss the opportunity to finish. She will then face the Czech Petra Kvitova (12th) or the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova (18th), opposed in the evening.

On the men's side, two quarter-finals are scheduled for the day.

Jannik Sinner (11th), a finalist in 2021 and currently in great form, was leading 6-3, 2-0 service to follow when rain interrupted his match against Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori (54th).

In closing, the world N.1 and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, also in search of the "Sunshine Double" in the wake of his triumph in Indian Wells, will battle with the American Taylor Fritz (10th).

© 2023 AFP