Sabalenka, Gauff Cruise in Miami Open as Rybakina Suffers Shock Exit

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and third seed Coco Gauff delivered dominant performances in their Miami Open second-round matches on Thursday, while seventh-seeded Elena Rybakina fell to American Ashlyn Krueger in a major upset.

Sabalenka eased past Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova with a 6-3, 6-0 victory in just 58 minutes, showing no signs of struggle despite adjusting to the Miami conditions after her Indian Wells final loss to Mirra Andreeva.

“I’m super happy with this win,” said the Belarusian star. “It was a bit tricky adjusting to the conditions, but I handled it well.”

READ ALSO: Mirra Andreeva Wins Indian Wells 2025

Meanwhile, Gauff made even quicker work of her match, demolishing 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin with a double bagel (6-0, 6-0) in just 47 minutes. The American teen, who suffered an early exit at Indian Wells, admitted that she felt in total control.

“I was definitely playing well today, but I don’t think my opponent was at her best,” Gauff said. “It just happened to be a great day for me.”

READ ALSO: Coco Gauff staying positive despite shock Australian Open defeat to Paula Badosa

Rybakina Falls as Krueger Stuns the Miami Crowd

The biggest shock of the day came when Ashlyn Krueger, a 20-year-old American ranked No. 40, defeated Rybakina 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. This marks Krueger’s first career win against a top-10 opponent, setting up a third-round clash with Leylah Fernandez.

Elsewhere, defending champion Danielle Collins survived a late scare to edge past Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), while Naomi Osaka eliminated Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-4, setting up a meeting with Halley Baptiste, who upset Daria Kasatkina in three sets.

Fonseca & Opelka Shine in Men’s Draw

In the men’s category, Joao Fonseca, the 18-year-old Brazilian sensation, earned a hard-fought victory over Learner Tien 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-4, thrilling a pro-Brazilian crowd with his aggressive play.

“I knew it would be tough, but the Brazilian fans gave me the energy to fight till the end,” Fonseca said.

Meanwhile, Reilly Opelka maintained his perfect record (4-0) against Christopher Eubanks, securing a 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)win in just 85 minutes, powered by a flawless first-serve performance in the second set.

With the Miami Open heating up, fans can expect even more thrilling matches as the tournament progresses. Stay tuned for updates!

SportsLigue