Swiatek, Gauff advance in Miami Open
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New York, US, Mar 24 (EFE).- Poland’s Iga Swiatek and American Coco Gauff qualified for the round of 16 at the Miami Open, winning their respective matches on Sunday.
World number one Swiatek came from behind to defeat Czech Republic‘s Linda Noskova 6-7(7), 6-4, and 6-4 in a tough duel that lasted two hours and 33 minutes.
Gauff, ranked three in the world, had a relatively easier match against France’s Oceane Dodin, which she won 6-4 and 6-0 in one hour and four minutes.
After the elimination of Belarusian world number two Aryna Sabalenka, Swiatek and Gauff are the two highest-ranked tennis players who continue in the Florida Masters 1,000.
Swiatek will face the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, ranked 16, in the round of 16, while Gauff will face the France’s Caroline Garcia, ranked 27.
Swiatek has just won in Indian Wells and will try to seal the ‘Sunshine Double’ of triumphing in Indian Wells and Miami in the same year. Only four tennis players in the women’s competition – Steffi Graf (1994 and 1996), Kim Clijsters (2005), Victoria Azarenka (2016), and Swiatek herself (2022) – have achieved it.
In the men’s draw, Italian Jannik Sinner, world number three, qualified for the round of 16 with a comeback 5-7, 7-5, and 6-1 win against Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor.
Australian Open champion Sinner suffered in the first set and couldn’t quite find his rhythm. But after a short break due to rain in the middle of the second set, he hit the accelerator and turned the match around.
Norwegian Casper Ruud, 2022 finalist, beat Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the next round. EFE
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