Japan's Naomi Osaka advanced to the WTA Miami Open final by rallying to defeat Olympic champion Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday.

Bencic had won three of her four prior matches against the four-time Grand Slam champion, but Osaka fought back to reach her first final on the Miami hardcourts.

Neither player had dropped a set before the match but Bencic was impressive in opening exchanges to quickly put Osaka on the backfoot.

"I didn't feel like I figured her out at all and somehow I managed to win," Osaka said. "She's an amazing player. I wish I had her return."

Osaka, who left Indian Wells in tears after being heckled by a fan, was similarly emotional at the end on Thursday, but in a happier way.

"I just wanted to say thanks to everyone. The atmosphere was really good," Osaka told spectators after the match. "Damn, I'm always crying, but this tournament means a lot to me."

Earlier in the day, Daniil Medvedev said physical struggles destroyed any chance of a victory to reclaim the world number one ranking after falling to Poland's Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (9/7), 6-3.

Medvedev fell to second with a third-round loss to Gael Monfils at Indian Wells but would have taken back the top spot from Serbia's Novak Djokovic had he defeated Hurkacz, the defending Miami Open champion.

Instead, 10th-ranked Hurkacz advanced to the semi-finals by ousting the reigning U.S. Open champion at Hard Rock Stadium and 20-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic stays number one.

Hurkacz, now 2-2 all-time against the Russian, faces Carlos Alcaraz for a place in Sunday's final after the 18-year-old Spanish sensation produced a scintillating display to beat Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in three sets.

Medvedev said he found it hard to breathe at times and was cramping so badly in the locker room he was like "a fish on a sofa."

"All match, I wasn't feeling my best," Medvedev said. "After the tough points I was struggling to get my breath. I wasn't recovering fast enough. You just have to fight but in the second set I felt strange.

"I don't often feel like this but it happens sometimes when it's hot. Maybe it was the heat but I was feeling dizzy and tired and there was one game where I couldn't serve anymore. In the locker room I was cramping."