Alexandova fights back to upset Bencic at Miami Open

Belinda Bencic had more than just her game bothering her, bowing out of the Miami Open early on Sunday. The ninth seed didn’t get into contention with Ekaterina Alexandrova, who made a comeback in the first set tiebreak to take down the Swiss in straight sets 7-6(8), 6-3 on Grandstand court at the Hard Rock Stadium.

The Swiss star looked to get back on track after a disaster of a birthday against fellow Swiss friend Jill Teichmann, whom she lost to at Indian Wells in her opening round. With a month passing, the ninth seed looked to avenge her disappointment and bring her best again, as she did against Leylah Fernandez two days ago. Without giving up a single break point, the reigning Olympic gold medalist dominated in fine form, looking to get another one against Alexandrova. They met five times, with the last one on a hard court coming at Indian Wells.

The ninth seed made her service game fly by, despite the 18th seed getting into the opening game. Once Alexandrova fired away, she held Bencic back and made quick work of the second game. She anted up to score a break in the third, keeping Bencic to a point on her service. The 28-year-old rallied to back up the break opening the gap after four. Bencic made sure to keep in touch with her opponent, denying her any chance of a double.

Alexandrova turned up the pace in the sixth, scoring her first love service against Bencic. The Swiss struggled to find her rhythm, leaving her to fight for the security of service against Alexandrova. After three breaks of deuce, it was the 28-year-old erring the ball wide of the tramlines to keep Bencic close on the score. Consistency dropped on Alexandrova’s side of the court as the errors began to rack up. Bencic remained patient on deuce until her moment to strike gave her a four-all situation.

She served the ninth, only to fall behind on serve. Alexandrova had two chances to get back the lead but blew her opportunities. On deuce, Bencic reeled the victory in after two breaks, saving one from the 18th seed before leading 5-4. Alexandrova caught a break in the tenth, fighting off the problems and earning points from Bencic to force the set deep. The ninth seed kept her end of the court hot, staying in control of her service, adding to the nerves of her opponent’s game.

The 18th seed managed the issues, saving two set points from the Swiss, leveling the score at six-all. It sent them into a tiebreak where both players traded off points beyond the necessary required Bencic let the opportunities she brought up quickly dissolve, losing out on another two set points in between being broken. The 28-year-old had her pair and did so at 9-8, capping off the first in 1 hour and 13 minutes.

Bencic’s first serve was at 50 percent when the set came to a close, souring her offense that had many winners but too many errors. The double faults rattled both, but it was the ninth seed who weighed heavier on the statistic. She tried to regroup and make better of the second set, but there was trouble as she battled the forehand. Alexandrova took advantage of her opponent’s struggle and broke her in the opening.

The 18th seed went on to take the next pair of games, capturing the double break against the Swiss. Bencic stopped the bleeding in the fourth on serve, holding the 28-year-old to a point. A cough was beginning to bother the ninth seed, but she kept in while Alexandrova reestablished her three-game cushion after serving the fifth.

The two continued to hold serve against the other, with the 18th seed performing better on offense. As soon as the time came for her to go for the match, Alexandrova laid down and ace, watched a winner from Bencic go by, and achieved two match points on an error from the Swiss. She laid down an ace to upset Bencic in a major comeback that took 2 hours and 34 minutes.

Linette powers through to upset Azarenka in three sets at Miami Open.

Magda Linette celebrates her win over Victoria Azarenka at the Miami Open. 

Magda Linette put on a stellar performance to break ahead at the Miami Open Saturday. In a tight one against Victoria Azarenka, who she never won a set against, the Pole forced three out of her to win 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-4 on Butch Buchholz court at the Hard Rock Stadium. The 20th seed put a grip on her offense and kept her opponent back with the help of the Polish contingency.

This was the third meeting between the two and the first since 2021 when the Pole bowed out in the second set at Indian Wells two years ago. She previously lost to Azarenka the year she went on to achieve the sunshine double. Keeping her opening round streak alive at 14, the former world number one handled Camila Giorgi to set herself up with Linette and push forward. The Pole overcame a deficit against Evgeniya Rodina in the second set to take it in straight sets. Despite some troubles, she knew that a good start from her end would fare well against the former world number one.

The 31-year-old held Azarenka back on serve, denying her any chance on deuce. The 14th seed started well with a 40-0 break, but let her success slip away and play things beyond deuce. Stopping a break chance from Linette allowed her to clear out the service game and watch the Pole hold serve comfortably in the third. The next three games went the way of the player’s serves, with Azarenka suffering a couple of double faults. She overcame her troubles in the sixth, pulling off a break to love of Linette for the lead.

The 33-year-old consolidated the break in the eighth, putting Linette in a tight spot while dealing with a problem on the serve. She secured the ninth to avoid breaking the set, finding a way to challenge Azarenka, who served for it. She managed to break back for a five-all score earning new life in her fight to steal the set. The 20th seed broke ahead 40-0 on serve but things got tight against her opponent. Before deuce could come to fruition, Linette held off the threat to lead 6-5 and feel confident in the late stages.

Azarenka matched the Pole to force a first-set tiebreak where the competition remained tight between the tennis veterans. After trading off the first six points, Linette caught a break and kept the breaks on Azarenka while she dictated. Gaining four set points, the 31-year-old captured a double break to take the first set in one hour and three minutes.

Linette was feeling great going into the second set, winning two more to make it six of the last eight games decided. Azarenka held the third, but not without a fight from the Pole, who waited for her moment to strike out breaks. The 33-year-old dealt with a couple in the fifth, but secured the hold of serve, getting ahead of Linette. The Pole had a moment during the seventh where she bent her ankle a little too much, causing her to wince in pain. Azarenka took advantage to break the Pole and lead 4-2, eyeing a potential third set.

The 14th seed rallied to 5-2 with Linette on the hot seat to remain in the set. Azarenka put the heat on, reaching a set point only to be denied. It only took two breaks on deuce to get the job done in 29 minutes, leaving a chance to still take the win or fall to Linette. Azarenka set the bar with a serve to love and broke Linette for the early lead. She then watched her opponent win the next four straight before finding a way to put the brakes on in the seventh.

The win on serve was only temporary for Azarenka, who watched Linette hold serve in the eighth. The 14th seed rallied to control her serve in the ninth to keep the Pole from breaking for the match. She held a game point in her favor, leaving luck to play out for either player. The 20th seed played the tenth game with patience, going point by point until she had three match points. One went long of the baseline and the second attempt into the net. Her third attempt landed long off the baseline near Azarenka’s feet to force deuce.

Linette continued on in the game, gaining her fourth on an erred return from the 14th seed. Her moment arrived on a sliced return by Azarenka bringing an end to a thrilling 2 hours and 27 minutes on the court.

Ostapenko downs Haddad Maia in three set battle at Miami Open

Jelena Ostapenko during her third round match at the Miami Open against Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Jelena Ostapenko had to gain back her momentum to stay alive at the Miami Open Saturday. The Latvian found her stride late in the final set against Beatriz Haddad Maia, beating the Brazilian 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 on Grandstand court on the grounds of the Hard Rock Stadium.

The players met for the fourth time, with the Latvian holding the series against the Brazilian. Their last meeting in Cincinnati went 20 games, but Ostapenko assured herself to be in the lead. Haddad Maia is a strong player when her game is in form, but her action for victory has dropped off, despite her willingness to fight through competitions. The Brazilian went the distance in her last four battles, and while she has had one against Ostapenko, the 24th seed planned not to let her find any dictation after she dismissed the Swede two days ago in straight sets.

The 25-year-old set the bar high with a serve to love against Haddad Maia, but couldn’t get in position to tie in a break. Game three became highly contested when the Brazilian forced deuce and made it a fight for the AD point. She produced two break-point chances, but the 24th seed reached the AD point consecutive times. After seven breaks, Ostapenko secured the service and broke the 13th seed for a 3-1 score.

The Latvian backed up the break, gaining her three-game buffer, but Haddad Maia locked up another service game, sending the Brazilian contingency in the crowd to cheer. Ostapenko remained firm on serve to sit up 5-2, hoping to stop the short life of Haddad Maia’s offense. She raced through the eighth game, achieving two set points, but a long return left her with one to go.

Haddad Maia struggled with the second serve that assisted in double-faulting the set away in 38 minutes to Ostapenko’s benefit. Winners to unforced errors were close on both sides, but a smaller output from Haddad Maia with five explained the outcome.

The Latvian waited for Haddad Maia to return to court during the set break and witnessed a production of good points with a chance to break. Ostapenko saved them to force deuce on serve, on account of the 13th seed’s bad second serve. Waiting for a time to strike, Ostapenko fired an ace to secure the service after a 12-minute battle in the opening game. The 13th seed used her efforts on serve in the second, fighting with the forehand to secure a win against the Latvian.

It was soon 3-1 in favor of Haddad Maia, who got the crowd energized. Ostapenko had enough of being the one trailing and battled on serve in the fifth to gain back her place. They went to deuce, where the 24th seed double-faulted too many times. After reaching six for the match, Haddad Maia had the double break in hand, leading 4-1 with a third set close at hand. Ostapenko pulled off a break back in the sixth, but on serve in the seventh, she committed another double fault that pushed Haddad Maia to victory.

With one game left to attain, the Brazilian had the chance on serve. Ostapenko put the brakes on Haddad Maia, gaining a double break. She backed up the work with a service hold in the ninth, sitting a game down of leveling. Both players took the tenth game to deuce, where Haddad Maia took care of the service and clinched a third set into play after 57 minutes.  Ostapenko chose to take 10 minutes off the court due to the heat rule but also regroup after notching six double faults in the set. Haddad Maia improved on winners, increasing her level of output from the serve to 72 percent.

A break for the Brazilian put her in a good spot to begin the deciding set, converting the break with a strong service hold. Ostapenko was increasingly frustrated, hoping to not let the set run away from her. The 24th seed notched her 10th double fault of the match, which took them to deuce. After three breaks, the Latvian held serve to avoid another big margin for her opponent.

A huge momentum change occurred in the fifth when Ostapenko pulled off a hold of serve and backed it up breaking Haddad Maia in the following game. Gaining back control on both sides of the ball, the Latvian achieved a three-game winning streak forcing an error from the Brazilian. Haddad Maia had problems on serve in the eighth, needing the crowd to get her out of trouble.

They didn’t help her on that front as Ostapenko picked up a fourth consecutive victory, looking for the one to put the 13th seed away. She quickly picked up the match points, gaining three on a long ball from Haddad Maia. The 25-year-old finished off her opponent, laying down a line drive winner to get into the fourth round after 2 hours and 19 minutes.

“I was sick for twelve days, but today I felt good and really happy today to win, and of course, the crowd was mostly against me,” said Ostapenko after her match. “I’m really proud of myself, that I was fighting and been working hard on my consistency. I was fighting till the last point, and she’s like a great player and really proud of myself and how I managed it.”

Bencic blows Fernandez out of Miami Open in straight sets

Belinda Bencic celebrates a point during her second round match with Leylah Fernandez at the Miami Open. 

Belinda Bencic was back to playing her best tennis at the Miami Open Friday night. The ninth seed overcame the opposition of Leylah Fernandez, who didn’t have her game in full, going down 6-1, 6-1 on Butch Buchholz court at the Hard Rock Stadium. It was an outstanding performance by the Swiss star, who needed a big victory to overcome her previous defeat

The two met for the fifth time and the first since the Billy Jean Cup where Bencic picked up her second-match win against the Canadian. The ninth seed hoped to get a third straight over Fernandez after exiting early against her fellow Swiss doubles partner. The time between Indian Wells and the second round of Miami allowed her to focus on getting into the tournament. Despite drawing Fernandez, the reigning Olympic gold medalist had an early challenge in front of her.

Bencic came out answering the service of the Canadian, breaking her to begin the match. She was all over the ball in the second, blanking Fernandez to love before breaking her to love. With a 3-0 run to start, continued to dictate the opening set on a strong service pushing her to 4-0. Fernandez got into the action by not only denying a triple break for the ninth seed but ending her slide.

Just when it looked as if the Canadian found a moment to dig in, Bencic drew errors from her opponent’s rallies and made it 5-1. Fernandez gave it her all in the seventh, saving a set point chance for Bencic to force deuce, but on the second AD point, the Swiss capped the first on a winner to end 27 minutes of play. Winning first-serve points weighed heavily in favor of the Swiss star, who could do no wrong. Fernandez was silent on returns, winning two points overall. She took a break off the court before returning to begin the second set.

Bencic picked up where she left off, having lost no heat after the wait before Fernandez came back. They played 12 points so fast that Bencic already had a new winning streak. With the break in hand from the second, the ninth seed made it 3-0 swiftly. The Canadian was unresponsive to Bencic’s service and continued to struggle with her own.

In the fourth, Fernandez made a significant turnaround with her serve, laying down points across to Bencic, and fight on deuce to get it locked up. The Canadian challenged Bencic on serve in the fifth, fighting through deuce to attain the AD point. An error into the net ended her quest to convert a break in the match, giving Bencic little more to achieve the victory.

The ninth seed stretched out the rallies for Fernandez, making it harder for her to accurately get the ball back on returns, setting up the Swiss to serve for a spot in the third round. She wrapped it up in style, waiting for her moment during a short rally to end Fernandez in one hour and seven minutes. It was her 16th main draw match win, bringing quality back to her form.

Azarenka shines to beat Giorgi at Miami Open

Victoria Azarenka in action during the second round of the Miami Open. 

Victoria Azarenka accepted playing quickly and worked the pace to her advantage at the Miami Open Thursday night. The 14th seed went alongside Camila Giorgi’s speedy movements, matching them to win in straight sets 6-3, 6-1 at Grandstand at the Hard Rock Stadium. The 33-year-old made very few errors in the final set to dominate the Italian and continue her positive ways. 

The 33-year-old wanted to avoid a second consecutive early exit after dropping her first against Karolina Muchova two weeks ago. The Czech took down the winner of the sunshine double in straight sets, but the defeat was a small problem in her recent hard-court success. In her 13 previous visits to the tournament, Azarenka has never lost in the first round. With a fourth meeting against the Italian, the 14th seed wanted to get the series even.

Giorgi played the longest match of the season two days ago, going three and a half hours with Kaia Kanepi. Despite losing leads in all three sets, the 31-year-old carries experience of defeating the former world number one on hard courts, in hopes that she had the energy to do it again.

Giorgi struggled with the serve, double-faulting to give Azarenka break points. She managed to save one, but the 14th seed went on to take the break and get her offense moving. On the third point, Azarenka double-faulted during the second game, giving the Italian room to take a step in and score the break back. She consolidated in the third, showing a strong output that blanked the 33-year-old to love.

The fourth game proved a battle between the players as Giorgi was quick on her feet and playing at the pace she wanted. Azarenka called the Italian in the fifth, breaking her with crosscourt redirects for the lead. She backed it up with a hold of serve, gaining two on Giorgi, who saw her actions work for her opponent. She stayed close on the score with Azarenka until another service hold went the way of the 33-year-old, who led 5-3.

Keeping it tough for the Italian, Giorgi got into a hole on serve and faced two set points to the 14th seed. A shot the body brought an error from Azarenka, but took the set on a slice shot from the Italian, ending the first in 41 minutes. Azarenka outdid Giorgi on winners, capping ten of them, but the real damage was in her points won for the first serve. With that and the speed that she reached against the Italian, Azarenka was on an unstoppable run.

She went on a 3-0 sweep, grabbing two aces in the set that spanned 12 minutes at the time. The Italian brought an end to Azarenka’s five-game winning streak, starting the fourth game with an ace. She defended well to hold serve, adding winners to get back into gear. The 14th seed took a step closer to victory, holding an important service against Giorgi to prevent a slip-up. Having seven winners and no errors was a good position for Azarenka, who had the pressure on her opponent in the sixth.

Two double faults didn’t help the Italian, but errors from the 33-year-old brought up a move to deuce. After battling through five breaks, Azarenka picked up her fifth break point chance, earning the 5-1 stand. On serve for the match, the 14th seed dictated her path to victory, reaching triple match point. One went long, but the second secured it to end the night in 1 hour and 16 minutes.

Aryna Sabalenka remains flawless in her three set win over Jelena Ostapenko

Aryna Sabalenka clenches her fist during her round of 16 match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Aryna Sabalenka improved to 13-0, moving on at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championship Wednesday night. The second seed added Jelena Ostapenko to the long list of players she has defeated this season, winning 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 on center court at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. Her dangerous forehands from beginning to end kept her flawless once more to enter the quarterfinals.

It was the second meeting between the two stars and the first for Sabalenka since she lifted the Australian Open title back in Melbourne. The newly ranked world number two did well in her match against Lauren Davis, smashing the American with an 88 percent first-serve performance. She allowed just one win during that victory that put her square in the face of Ostapenko. The Latvian went back to back in dominant performances, limiting the double faults while schooling her last two opponents. With this being the biggest challenge of her tournament, the defending champion had much to do to defeat the second seed and keep her repeat title hopes kicking.

The Latvian opened the match, breaking the 24-year-old’s service only to lose out on her own in the second. She continued with the breaks of serve in the third, pressuring Sabalenka to falter on returns in the competition. It worked out for Ostapenko on serve in the fourth, who managed to get the second serve winning points and hold off another break. The Latvian succeeded in a triple break of the second seed getting deep into the rallies before laying out the crosscourt winners.

Sitting ahead 4-1, Ostapenko kept her focus and returned to service, dealing with a couple errors from her side. At deuce, the 13th seed locked in and scored the game to lead 5-1 and go for the set. Sabalenka fought to hold serve for the first time in the set yet faced a long journey to recover. She didn’t make it easy for Ostapenko in the eighth game where she served for the set, but on a challenge for the AD point, the Latvian fired a winner that came back long. She became the second player this season to win a set over the 24-year-old and did so in 37 minutes.

The second was a turnaround for the second seed, who conducted a service hold and broke Ostapenko going forward. The 24-year-old consolidated for a 3-0 grip of the set, making it look as she would force a decider. The 13th seed tried to get a service game locked up but suffered a double fault and an error into the net. It brought the score to deuce where after two breaks, she got a win to move within two games of her opponent.

Sabalenka didn’t let that happen, winning the next two games while holding Ostapenko to 15 in each victory. On serve in the seventh, the second seed held Ostapenko twice, winning the set on the first break of deuce. It was a 32-minute improvement by the 24-year-old, who made the decider critical for both to perform well. Sabalenka won 14 of 18 from the first serve and returned best from the second.

The Latvian opened the deciding set, playing five points against the second seed before she was shut out in the second, leveling the score. Sabalenka fought through 11 points played in the third, breaking Ostapenko. The 24-year-old backed up the break for a 3-1 lead before holding her side of the court through another one of the Latvian’s service games. Sabalenka almost had a second shutout in line until an error brought Ostapenko into it. 

She still managed to lock it up and lead 5-1 showing tremendous momentum. The second seed waited her time to strike on the ball, reach match point, and gain a second chance on a return winner. Ostapenko gifted the victory on her seventh double fault securing the win for the reigning Australian Open champion in 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Karolina Muchova outshines Belinda Bencic in straight sets

Karolina Muchova fires off a forehand serve during her round of 16 match at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis championships.

Karolina Muchova outmatched the competition at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships Wednesday. The Czech played a stronger level of offense against Belinda Bencic, who struggled to find the energy, going down 6-1, 6-4 on Court One at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.  

The Swiss star had a massive challenge right off the bat in Dubai, playing in the second-longest match of the year. Bencic went almost three and a half hours against Marta Kostyuk, running away with the final set comfortably. Muchova fared better in her second-round match against Sorana Cirstea, who she overcame a break against a top player in the competition. While the eighth seed carried a 2-0 series lead over the Czech, her fatigue played a factor in whether she could hold up in less than 24 hours.

The 26-year-old opened with a near-perfect service, only to see Bencic get into the game. The Czech held serve, then faced the eighth seed and what she brought to the court. Muchova responded with a strong service in the third, allowing Bencic a lone point. She then scored the break for a 3-1 lead on the Swiss and backed up the win on serve in the fifth. Muchova tallied the double break right before she sealed up the set with ease after 33 minutes. Three double faults and 14 unforced errors for Bencic were a problem to fix fast, but fatigue had made its impact.

The Swiss star left the court to try and regroup before Muchova opened the second set facing Bencic’s service. The eighth seed took the opening game with a stronger offense, allowing the Czech a point. The 26-year-old answered with a serve to love, but her opponent showed improvement. Bencic held to love in the third and tried to score a break in the fourth. Her efforts were challenged by Muchova, who didn’t want to give her a break back. After four breaks, the 26-year-old kept the score even but was aware that the competitive spirit in Bencic was alive.

Double faults ruined Bencic’s chances to defend her service game, handing Muchova a potential game-changer. She tallied a strong service game for the two-game buffer, winning 15 of the last 20 points played. Bencic tried to light a fire under her offense after saving a breakpoint. She forced deuce and held serve with forehand shots away from the Czech, putting herself a game down. Muchova suffered a setback on serve, handing Bencic the break that helped her level the score through eight games.

The Czech managed to gain a break back to become the first to reach 5-4 and serve for the match. She scored an ace in her quest to close out the set, scoring points on long returns from the Swiss. With two match points, Muchova ousted Bencic on a second attempt for an ace, ending the day in 1 hour and 25 minutes. It was her sixth ace of the day and with the first serve doing the heavy lifting, she could celebrate the upset.