MIAMI – The first few days of the Miami Open were surprisingly calm compared to the usual March Madness chaos.
While upsets can be exciting and change is constant, it was notable that all four men`s semifinalists from Indian Wells lost their first matches in Miami. However, among the top women players, form mostly held strong.
However, on Sunday, a young Filipina player caused a major stir by defeating Australian Open champion Madison Keys in straight sets. This was a significant upset. Alexandra Eala has now won more main-draw matches in Miami (three) than any other player from the Philippines in the Open Era. Keys was ranked 135 places above Eala in the WTA rankings.
Despite this surprise, by Sunday evening, the Sweet 16 round looked quite predictable.
Five of the top 6 seeds – Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Jasmine Paolini – are still in contention. Defending champion Danielle Collins, four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu are also still in the tournament.
All eight Round of 16 matches are scheduled for Monday. If you`re not working from home, it might be a good day to take a sick day!
For those following the tournament, and especially for those who haven`t been paying close attention, here’s a recap of the first week and a preview of what`s coming up in our Courtside Changeover.
Week 1 Top Performances
Dominant Shutout
Coco Gauff`s 6-0, 6-0 victory over Sofia Kenin was her second career “double bagel” at the tour level, following a similar win last year in Madrid. Gauff continued her strong play by defeating Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-4 in the following match. Her key was not focusing on achieving another shutout.
Gauff mentioned she tried not to think about the shutout, as it`s a rare occurrence.
Match of the Week
Naomi Osaka won a hard-fought third-round match against qualifier Hailey Baptiste 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-4. Baptiste served to level the third set at 5-5 and reached deuce, but Osaka won the next two crucial points to win the match. Osaka won a total of 112 points, just two more than Baptiste. The match lasted nearly three hours (2 hours, 59 minutes, and 57 seconds).
Osaka reflected that she has played several tough matches this year and believes her fighting spirit helped her win. She recognized the importance of winning such matches to become a great player.
Despite already being a four-time Grand Slam champion, this match suggests Osaka is regaining her top form after returning from maternity leave.
Impressive Breakthrough
While Alexandra Eala`s upset grabbed headlines, 18-year-old Victoria Mboko from Canada also achieved her first tour-level win, defeating Camila Osorio in the first round. She then lost to No. 10 seed Paula Badosa in a close three-set match decided by a tiebreak. However, Mboko boasts an impressive 28-2 record this year, including five ITF titles.
Point of the Tournament
The best point of the tournament so far goes to Viktoriya Tomova against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Numbers to Note
Top Stat
According to Nicolò Tonato of Stats Perform, Emma Navarro`s match against Emma Raducanu marked the first time two players with the same first name played each other at the Miami Open since Elena Vesnina and Elena Likhovtseva in 2008.
Another notable stat: Iga Swiatek is the first player to reach the Round of 16 in 25 consecutive WTA 1000 events since the format was introduced in 2009.
Serving Struggles
Despite winning 22 consecutive service points, including all 16 in the second set, No. 7 seed Elena Rybakina still lost her second-round match against Ashlyn Krueger.
Flashback Moment
Thirteen years after competing in the Australian Open junior girls’ singles final, Taylor Townsend and Yulia Putintseva faced each other again in the second round in Miami. Townsend won with a close scoreline: 7-6 (2), 1-6, 6-1, mirroring their junior final score of 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
Ode to Andreeva
Quote of the Week
“I still can’t believe that it happened so fast because it was one of my dreams. Now that it already happened, I feel like … what am I supposed to do now?” – Mirra Andreeva, reflecting on her rapid rise in tennis.
Setback
Mirra Andreeva`s impressive run was halted by Amanda Anisimova in a late-night Sunday match that lasted almost three hours.
Silver Lining
Even though her Miami journey ended, Mirra Andreeva had a different kind of victory last week – a message from LeBron James.
The 17-year-old has been inspired by the NBA legend, quoting his mindset and relying on his words during matches. After her win over Aryna Sabalenka at Indian Wells, she mentioned him again, and this time, LeBron noticed.
He shared her quote on Instagram, adding a message that made her week: “Congratulations! Happy to have helped. But honestly, YOU did THAT!! All your hard work, drive, and dedication toward your craft. KEEP GOING! Strive for greatness.”
In Miami, Andreeva expressed her excitement, saying she plans to print the message and put it on her wall, as it’s not every day you receive a message from LeBron James.
It was still a good week for Andreeva, even without a tournament win.
Odds and Ends
Unexpected Underarm Serve
Leading 6-2, 5-1 and at match point, Marta Kostyuk surprised everyone with an underarm serve against Anna Blinkova. It worked, securing her the win.
Clutch Comebacks
Kimberly Birrell against Anastasia Potapova and Alycia Parks against Varvara Gracheva both won their first-round matches after saving match points.
Future Plans
While mothers on the WTA Tour are in the spotlight, Aryna Sabalenka stated she doesn`t plan to become a mother soon. Joking about the question, she mentioned her team gets stressed by it, but added that it gives her hope for the future, maybe in 5, 7, or 10 years.
Football Warm-up
Emma Raducanu, showing signs of recovery after struggling since her US Open win, has incorporated football throwing into her warm-up routine with her trainer Yutaka Nakamura. She believes this new routine is helping her get back on track.
Raducanu mentioned her trainer, who is familiar with American football, is teaching her to throw properly and improve her spiral.
When asked if she could play for the Miami Dolphins, Raducanu laughed and declined.
Raducanu dominated her third-round match, winning easily after McCartney Kessler retired due to injury.
Looking Ahead to Monday
Monday at the Miami Open promises to be thrilling, featuring matches between Grand Slam champions and emerging players.
Key matches include:
No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 14 Danielle Collins
No. 2 Iga Swiatek vs. No. 22 Elina Svitolina
No. 3 Coco Gauff vs. Magda Linette
No. 4 Jessica Pegula vs. No. 23 Marta Kostyuk
No. 6 Jasmine Paolini vs. Naomi Osaka
No. 9 Zheng Qinwen vs. Ashlyn Krueger
No. 10 Paula Badosa vs. Alexandra Eala
No. 17 Amanda Anisimova vs. Emma Raducanu
The Big Question
