Carlos Alcaraz, who won at Indian Wells and is ranked second, started his Miami Open journey by winning decisively against fellow Spaniard Roberto Carballés Baena on Saturday night.
The 20-year-old Alcaraz, also the reigning Wimbledon champion, controlled the entire match with his impressive speed and agility. He successfully defended all three break points he faced, securing his seventh consecutive victory.
Jannik Sinner progressed to the third round with a win of 6-3, 6-4 against fellow Italian Andrea Vavassori. Sinner, ranked third, had to wait until the next day to finish the match due to rain halting play on Friday while he was leading 3-2.
“I feel quite comfortable playing here,” said Sinner. “The court suits me well, and mentally, I feel free to play.”
Andy Murray moved into the third round with a 7-6, 6-3 win against the 29th-ranked Tomás Martín Etcheverry, a match also disrupted by rain on Friday. Murray, a two-time Miami Open champion, ended a nine-match losing streak against the top 50 players with this victory, marking his 995th career tour-level match.
In the women’s category, top-ranked Iga Świątek, fresh off her Indian Wells victory, defeated Camila Giorgi 6-1, 6-1 in just over an hour. This win marked Świątek’s 81st victory in her first 100 matches at the WTA-1000 level, second only to Serena Williams.
Naomi Osaka continued her comeback by defeating the 17th-ranked Elina Svitolina 6-2, 7-6 (5). Osaka, who had a third-round exit at Indian Wells, now has two wins over top 20 opponents in her last four matches.
“I believe this was one of my best matches of the year, if not the best,” said Osaka. “But I always strive to improve with every match.”
Rain delayed the start of play on Saturday by nearly three hours, and several matches were suspended. Amidst several upsets in the men’s games, Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil surprised American Taylor Fritz with a 6-3, 6-4 victory to reach the third round.
Christopher O’Connell defeated 22nd-ranked Francis Tiafoe 7-5, 7-6, while Tommy Paul retired from his match against Martin Damm Jr. due to a left ankle injury. Last year’s winner, Daniil Medvedev, advanced by beating Márton Fucsovics 6-4, 6-2.
In other matches, fifth-ranked Jessica Pegula advanced to the second round after Zhu Lin retired due to illness while trailing 6-4, 4-1.
