MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Hubert Hurkacz unleashed 17 aces to topple France’s Arthur Rinderknech 7-6(5) 6-2 and keep his title defence going at the Miami Open as world number two Daniil Medvedev sent twice winner Andy Murray packing and Naomi Osaka advanced on a walkover.
Rinderknech was unable to convert his sole break point in the first set and lost the momentum altogether after the tiebreak, as the 10th-ranked Pole won the first four games of the second set of their second-round clash.
Reigning US Open champion Medvedev never faced a break and proved too nimble for three-times Grand Slam winner Murray, dropping just two of his first-serve points in the second set as he won 6-4 6-2.
“Playing against Andy is never easy,” said Medvedev according to Reuters. “Managed to serve well, and I think that was one of the keys.”
Japan’s Osaka advanced to the fourth round on a walkover after Czech Karolina Muchova withdrew following an injury she sustained during warm-ups.
The four-times Grand Slam champion will face the winner of an all-American clash between Ann Li and Alison Riske in the Grandstand later on Saturday.
Muchova’s was the latest injury to mar the women’s field in Miami after Garbine Muguruza and Simona Halep pulled out on Thursday.
Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut moved past Pole Kamil Majchrzak 6-3 6-3 and Olympic champion Belinda Bencic eased past Britain’s Heather Watson 6-4 6-1.
Swiss Bencic, who suffered early exits from Indian Wells earlier this month and Doha in February, launched five aces across the net as Watson struggled on the return and was only able to convert one of eight break points.
“I´m happy that I managed, you know, to have zero break points against me,” said Medvedev, who had a first-round bye as a seeded player.
“I feel like I have some room for improvement. But it was a great match against an amazing player. And I´m happy that I managed to go through,” he added according to AP
Only five men in the past 18 years have held the No. 1 ranking that is currently held by Novak Djokovic.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are also past No. 1´s – while Medvedev and Murray are the others. Murray was No. 1 from November 2016 through August 2017, and that distinction was handed off between Djokovic, Federer and Nadal since before Medvedev got there for the first time on Feb. 28.
“I still felt like in the rallies and stuff I could hang with him, and I didn´t feel like from the back of the court I was getting like really outplayed,” said Murray, who got into Miami on a wild card and is continuing his comeback after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery. “I´m sure some people will think otherwise.”
Murray is a two-time Miami Open winner, those victories coming at the tournament´s former home in nearby Key Biscayne.
His loss meant only one past Miami men´s winner remains in the field – that being defending champion Hubert Hurkacz, the No. 8 seed who defeated Arthur Rinderknech 7-6 (5), 6-2 and moved into the third round.
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka moved into the fourth round without ever taking the court. Osaka – the former women’s No. 1-ranked player who got straight-set wins on Wednesday and Thursday to get into Round 3 – got a walkover victory Saturday when Karolina Muchova withdrew citing a need for recovery.
“I´m sad that I cannot put up a battle against Naomi,” Muchova wrote on Twitter.
“After a long break from tennis, 2 tough matches in row have been a lot for my body and I need longer to recover.”
Muchova missed about seven months because of an abdominal injury and hadn´t played since the US Open before returning in Miami.
She recorded straight-set wins over Tereza Martincova and Leylah Fernandez in Miami, but neither was easy – three of the four sets went to tiebreaks and she spent nearly five hours on the court.
Osaka topped No. 13 Angelique Kerber in the second round and won´t have to face another seed until at least the quarterfinals.
The earliest No. 22 seed Belinda Bencic could see one is in the semi-finals; Bencic, one of only three seeds – out of a possible 16 – to make the third round on the top half of the draw, rolled past Heather Watson 6-4, 6-1.
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