Zverev, Sabalenka power through in Miami, Gauff crashes out
Top seed Alexander Zverev overcame a sluggish beginning to advance to the fourth round with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Australia's Jordan Thompson at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday.
The German player found himself trailing 4-1 in the first set but then surged ahead, winning eight of the following nine games to secure his place in the next round.
Having been eliminated in the first round at Indian Wells, Zverev sees an opportunity to enhance his collection of seven Masters 1000 titles, especially with Carlos Alcaraz already out of the tournament in Miami.
"Jordan made it difficult for me for sure. He's a quality player," said Zverev.
"When you're in rhythm, he knows how to break it a little bit. So he did extremely well today. I'm happy with my level from 1-4 onwards," he added.
Third-seed Taylor Fritz advanced to the fourth round after defeating Canada's Denis Shapovalov with a score of 7-5, 6-3.
Although the American initially lost a 5-2 advantage in the first set, he regained his composure, with his serve proving too challenging for Shapovalov.
In the women's competition, third-seed Coco Gauff's journey came to an end as she fell to Poland's Magda Linette, losing 6-4, 6-4.
Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka progressed smoothly into the quarter-finals, securing a 6-4, 6-4 victory over last year's champion, Danielle Collins from the USA.
Sabalenka's next match will be against ninth seed Zheng Qinwen, who reached her second consecutive WTA 1000 quarter-final by defeating Ashlyn Krueger in straight sets.
"I'm super happy to get this win in straight sets and happy with the level I played today," said Sabalenka.
"She's a tough opponent, and we had a lot of tough and tricky matches in the past. So was very happy to get through this one," she added.
Italy's Jasmine Paolini achieved a remarkable comeback victory against Naomi Osaka, winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a match that lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Since returning from maternity leave 15 months prior, Osaka has demonstrated glimpses of regaining her peak form; however, Paolini marked the first top 10 opponent Osaka has encountered this year.
"I don't think that I can say that I've played a lot of matches against top players like this in a while," said Osaka.
Her playing style surprises me, especially considering her height. I was unaware that she could strike the ball with such power," she remarked.
Emma Raducanu maintained her remarkable performance in Miami, defeating American Amanda Anisimova with a score of 6-1, 6-3 in just 69 minutes. Anisimova had recently ousted Indian Wells champion Mirra Andreeva on Sunday.
This marks the first occasion since her US Open victory in 2021 that Raducanu has achieved four consecutive wins in the WTA Tour main draw.
Raducanu, who has reconnected with some familiar faces from the early stages of her career for this tournament, expressed that their presence has been beneficial to her.
"I feel pretty relaxed and can be myself and be expressive and true to myself. I'm really happy with how things are on and off the court right now and just so happy that's able to transfer onto the match court," she said.
Australia's Alex de Minaur concluded the challenge posed by Brazilian prodigy Joao Fonseca at the Miami Open, triumphing over the 18-year-old with scores of 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in a captivating match.
While attendance at the stadium court had been limited earlier in the day, the atmosphere transformed into a vibrant mini-Maracana Stadium during Fonseca's match, filled with Brazilian flags and football-style chants.
Fonseca showcased his dynamic and aggressive style of play, yet De Minaur rose to the occasion, effectively handling both the powerful forehands and the enthusiastic crowd.
The fervor of Fonseca's supporters was so pronounced that the referee resorted to speaking in Portuguese to request silence.
Nevertheless, de Minaur secured six of the last seven games, advancing to the fourth round while maintaining his composure, even as the crowd occasionally interfered with his serve routine.
"Mentally I was ready for this match, I knew I was not only going to play an incredible talent like Joao, playing with immense confidence and nothing to lose, but also an incredible crowd that was on his side from the first point until the last," de Minaur said.
"One of my biggest strengths is my mentality and that is what got me the win today," he added.
Alexandra Eala, a 19-year-old from the Philippines, achieved a significant upset by defeating Australian Open champion Madison Keys on Sunday. She has now advanced to the quarter-finals after her fourth-round opponent, Paula Badosa of Spain, withdrew due to a lower back injury.
In the quarter-finals, Eala will compete against the victor of the match scheduled for Monday between Ukraine's Elina Svitolina and the second seed, Iga Swiatek.
SportsLigue