MIAMI:
America Coco Gauff was kicked out of the Miami Open on Saturday after a hard-fought three-set battle with Anastasia Potapova while Indian Wells champion Elena Rybakina secured a strong comeback win against Spaniard Paula Badosa.
Miami’s three-time winner Victoria Azarenka fell to Poland’s Magda Linette while third seed Jessica Pegula advanced with a 6-1, 7-6 (7/0) win over the American. Danielle Collins.
Potapova showed determination, strength and hitting power as she beat Gauff, the world number six, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5, 6-2.
Two hours and 41 minutes of early afternoon play ebbed and flowed before Potapova held on in the third set.
The 27thth-Russia led 5-2 in the first set but Gauff fought back to win the tie-break after Potapova hit a bad serve in the set.
Gauff seemed to gain momentum and work for the match at 5-3 up in the second set but nothing came of it, Potapova changed things up and took advantage. in his next four game wins.
After a 10-minute hot break, Potapova returned looking fresh and confident but Gauff struggled to regain her rhythm and after Potapova, ranked 26, was broken in the fifth game the outcome was never in doubt. .
The win was Potapova’s third win over a top 10 opponent and her first win over Gauff after two losses.
“I think I just let it go, and I started focusing on my tennis and going for my shots and not thinking about what he’s going to do,” Potapova said. about his change.
Gauff was unhappy with a performance in which he could not find a consistent rhythm.
“I felt like I didn’t play the way I wanted to today, the truth is, where I was in the game was because of my mentality, not because of my game,” said the 19-year-old, who said. while he felt some nerves in his house, he wasn’t too surprised.
“I don’t think that’s why I lost today. I really think it’s a combination of Anastasia playing well and I don’t step into the court when I need to sometimes,” he said.
Potapova will meet China’s Zheng Qinwen in the round of 16 after beating Liudmila Samsonova 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in 3 hours and 7 minutes. .
Rybakina rallied from a set down to sink Badosa 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. He extended his winning streak to 10 matches as he continued on his way to winning the Miami-Indian Wells “Sunshine Double”.
The Kazakh struggled in the first set with Badosa breaking her serve four times and although she found her game in the second set, she found herself 5-4 down and facing match point.
It proved to be a major turning point in the competition Rybakina holding serve then the Spaniard broke to see out the set and was in complete control of the third set.
“I didn’t start well in the first set but in the end I just got a little stronger,” said Rybakina.
“It was a very difficult match, I tried to focus on all aspects because the first set didn’t go my way, just a few mistakes here and there. Overall, I played well, ” he said.
Azarenka fell in three sets to lowly Linette 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-4 ending her hopes for a fourth Miami title.
Linette, who did not win a set against Azarenka in their first two meetings, converted five of her eight breaks and will now face Pegula for a place in the quarter-finals.
Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko beat 13-time champion Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia for the fourth time in as many meetings to reach the fourth round with a 6-2, 4 -6, 6-3.
Pegula advanced to the fourth round with a 6-1, 7-6 (7/0) win over American Danielle Collins.
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