Jannik Sinner cruised into the third round at the Miami Open with a 6-2 6-2 win over Hugo Gaston after 63 minutes.
Sinner was in control of the match in the first set and earned a double break in the third and fifth games to win the first set 6-2.
Sinner converted his third break point in the first game and held his next two service games to take a 3-2 lead. The Italian Next Gen star saved three break-back points in the sixth game before earning his double break in the seventh game to close out the second set 6-2.
Sinner has extended his winning record over Gaston to 2-0. A few weeks ago Sinner beat Gaston 6-4 6-1 at the Open 13 in Marseille. Gaston made a major breakthough last year, when he beat 2015 French Open champion Stan Wawrinka to reach the fourth round at Roland Garros, before losing to Dominic Thiem in three sets.
Sinner set up a third round match against 2018 Paris Bercy Rolex Masters champion Karen Khachanov, who broke serve five times in his 6-3 6-2 win over Yannick Hanfman. Khachanov got two breaks in the fourth and sixth games to race out a 5-1 lead. Hanfmann pulled one break back in the seventh game but Khachanov served out the first set 6-3 on his second set point.
The second set started with a trade of three consecutive breaks, as Khachanov took a 2-1 lead. Hanfmann saved a break point in the fifh game to hold serve for 2-3. Khachanov converted his second break point in the seventh game and served out the win on his first game.
Both previous matches between Sinner and Khachanov were decided by a final-set tie-break. Khachanov beat Sinner in five sets at the 2020 US Open, while Sinner avenged this defeat in the semifinal of the Great Ocean Road Open.
