Competing just four days after the passing of her former hockey player partner, Aryna Sabalenka emerged victorious against Paula Badosa with a 6-4, 6-3 win in the second round of the rain-interrupted Miami Open on Friday.
Sabalenka has requested privacy during this challenging time for herself and the family of Konstantin Koltsov, a 42-year-old Belarusian who tragically passed away in Miami on Monday. Authorities have stated that his death appears to be a suicide, and no foul play is suspected.
The 25-year-old Sabalenka ranked second globally, hails from Belarus and recently clinched the Australian Open title in January, marking her second consecutive victory at Melbourne Park. As one of the 32-seeded players, Sabalenka earned a bye in the first round.
The day’s play faced a six-hour delay due to rain, and subsequent rainfall led to the cancellation of further scheduled matches early in the evening. Wind conditions further complicated the matches.
Among the first completed matches, U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff advanced to the third round by defeating Nadia Podoroska 6-1, 6-2. Gauff currently holds the No. 3 ranking.
Fourth-ranked Elena Rybakina staged a comeback to overcome Clara Tauson with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory. Additionally, Emma Navarro secured a win against Storm Hunter with a 6-4, 6-3 score, while Ekaterina Alexandrova triumphed over Donna Vekic 6-3, 6-4.
In the men’s event, third-ranked Jannik Sinner was leading Andrea Vavassori 3-2 when their all-Italian match was suspended for the day. Earlier in the day, Tomas Machac defeated sixth-ranked Andrey Rublev with a 6-4, 6-4 score, while Ugo Humbert edged Botic Van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-3.
