Carreno says Miami Open audience helped him reach semis

Spanish tennis player Pablo Carreno said that the Miami Open audience "took him flying" to his second semi-final of a Masters 1,000 tournament, where he enjoyed a "very important" victory over South African Kevin Anderson, whom he had never defeated before.

"The crowd today has been incredible, there have been times when I've got goosebumps," Carreno said on Thursday, especially after losing the second set, when the audience at the stadium chanted his name, reports EFE news agency.

The Spaniard said that this victory was "even more special" than his move to the 2017 US Open semi-finals, because this time he was able to beat Kevin Anderson for the first time after losing in their last match in New York and their three other meetings.

Regarding the two match points he missed in the second set, Carreno said that although he was "totally concentrated and confident" to win the game, the South African "played very well."

"It was tough for me not to have closed the set, a very hard moment, but in the third set it was him who had the match ball and failed," Carreno said.

--IANS

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