Federer makes semi-final, Wozniacki reaches Miami final

Roger Federer's run at the Miami Open was one point from ending. Down 6-4 in a third-set tiebreaker to Tomas Berdych, the situation was officially dire.

Yet even in that moment, Federer still felt some hope.

"I had belief I could turn it around, even then," he said.

Somehow, he was right, and his stellar start to 2017 continued. The fourth-seeded Federer fought off those two match points and beat the 10th-seeded Berdych 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarterfinals on Thursday - avenging a third-set tiebreak loss to Berdych at Key Biscayne seven years ago in a match he still thinks he should have won.

"I got incredibly lucky," Federer said. "Could have gone either way. Felt like maybe this one I should have lost."

Federer feels right at home at Key Biscayne, and so does Caroline Wozniacki - with good reason, since she sometimes practices at the facility. The 12th-seeded Wozniacki, a part-time South Florida resident, made the women's final for the first time in 10 tries by topping second-seeded Karolina Pliskova 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.

"This is one of the few tournaments where I've never made a finals," Wozniacki said. "I think my best result here was semifinals five years ago. It's always been a tournament where I wouldn't say I struggle, but I've just not had the results I wanted."

Federer improved to 17-1 this year and will face No. 12 Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals on Friday.

Kyrgios defeated 16th-seeded Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-7 (9), 6-3 in the last of the men's quarters, a match that lasted 2 1/2 hours. Kyrgios had 16 aces, no double faults and never faced a break point, though his 19-year-old opponent saved five match points before falling.

He recovered and gets to face Federer, whom he called "the greatest of all time and my favorite tennis player."

Rafael Nadal and Fabio Fognini are the other men's semifinalists, meaning there's still a chance for Federer-Nadal on Sunday for the men's crown.