Landaluce eliminates Korda and continues dreaming in Miami
The Spanish tennis player saved a match point in the second set and secured his spot in the quarterfinals, coming close to the top 100 for the first time in his career.
Martín Landaluce continues to make history at the Miami Open 2026. The Spanish tennis player, who came from the qualifying rounds, has reached the quarterfinals (first time in a tournament of this category) after defeating Sebastian Korda by 2-6 7-6(6) 6-4, in a match that lasted two hours and 20 minutes where he even saved a match point.
Korda came in with high morale after eliminating Carlos Alcaraz in the third round, but Landaluce progressively improved to achieve an epic comeback. This ensures he will leave the tournament with his best historical ranking, and one more victory would place him for the first time within the top 100 of the ATP ranking, in a Masters 1000 tournament that could be a turning point in the 20-year-old Spanish player's career.
Korda dominates the first set
The match started with both players solid on serve, not giving away break points and being aggressive to unsettle their opponent as much as possible. However, Korda proved superior in longer rallies, taking the first step to break Landaluce's serve and lead 4-2. His backhand pushed the Spanish player off the court, and his forehand delivered the decisive blow to the play.
That break hurt Landaluce, who lost focus and concentration at times, committing too many unforced errors. As a result, another break sealed the first set for the American player 6-2. The statistics don't lie, with Korda's performance rated at 8.8, while Landaluce's was scored 5.9. Five more unforced errors than his opponent, and five fewer winners. Too much difference.
Landaluce achieves an epic turnaround in the second-set tiebreak
The beginning of the second set revealed the most mature version of Landaluce. Far from giving up, the Spanish player weathered the storm, held his serve with some authority, and sent a message to Korda. If he wanted to win, he wouldn't be given anything for free. They continued in this dynamic without giving up their service games until 4-4, where the crucial games arrived, exposing the nerves of those who falter under pressure.
At that moment, leading 15-30, Landaluce had a key opportunity at the net to secure two break points, but he couldn’t capitalize on the chance. Nevertheless, he kept his composure and closed the following game to love on his serve to stay alive in the match. With the score tied at 5-5, he once again reached 40-40 on Korda's serve, but couldn't make the final blow to take the lead.
The second set was ultimately decided in the tiebreak, where, just like against Khachanov two days earlier, Landaluce showed bravery uncharacteristic of a 20-year-old. He went for the match, and found his reward in the most epic way possible. Trailing 6-5 with Korda serving, Landaluce attempted a crosscourt backhand return that excited the crowd. He then gained another mini-break and closed out the second set on his serve while raising his arms to the sky.
Landaluce completes the feat
After losing the second set, Korda called for the physio to address some back issues. These discomforts were evident in the deciding set as Landaluce earned a break point in his first return game, forcing another error from the American and taking a 2-0 lead with serve in hand. Now it was Martín who controlled the rallies, and Korda who had no answers to the great game displayed by the Spanish player.
At every changeover, Korda received treatment from the physio, but against all odds, he managed to break back against the Spanish player, leveling the score at 3-3. The American player fought for every point, and Martín seemed to be more nervous than usual given the situation. However, as soon as the match was deadlocked, those nerves vanished, and the level of the Spanish player rose again to maintain an advantage and go up 5-4.
It was then that he showcased his best tennis to seal the break and secure his spot in the quarterfinals. He had just made history. Another significant step in his career puts him at his personal best ranking and one victory away from crossing the top 100 threshold after several months on the edge. He awaits the winner between Jiri Lehecka and Taylor Fritz in the next round, with the mission to keep knocking down the big names on the circuit.
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