Stefanos Tsitsipas cruised past Damir Dzumhur 6-1 6-4 to reach the third round at the Miami Open.
Tsitsipas, who entered the match with a 1-4 win-loss record in his previous five head-to-head matches against Dzumhur, converted his third break point in the second game and needed four chances to win the fourth game on Dzuhur’s serve to build up a 4-0 lead. Tsitsipas won his next two service games to cruise through the opening set 6-1.
Dzumhur saved a break point in the first game to hold serve at deuce in the first game. Tsitsipas earned his only break in the third game of the second set at deuce and never looked back in his next service games to claim the second set 6-4.
Tsitsipas is the third player to reach 15 wins this season joining Danil Medvedev and Andrey in the exclusive club.
“It was a great match, especially against a guy that I probably don’t have a good record playing against in the past. I started the match very strong, breaking him twice and taking a big lead in the score, and I think the things worked out by themselves after that”, said Tsitsipas.
Tsitsipas will face Kei Nishikori, who edged past Aljaz Bedene 7-6 (8-6) 5-7 6-4.
“Kei is a player that has played very well in the past, and even now he can raise his level really high. I will try and be ready for the battle. It’s important for me to have matches against strong opponents like him”, said Tsitsipas.
The Japanese player claimed his second win over Bedene for the second consecutive week after beating the Slovenian player 6-4 6-4 in Dubai. Tsitsipas will try to beat Nishikori for the first time. Nishikori won their only previous head-to-head match on home soil in Tokyo in 2018.
Bedene started the match with an immediate break in the first game. Nishikori broke straight back in the second game to draw level to 1-1. The first set went on serve until the 11th game, when Bedene got a break to take a 6-5 lead. Nishikori broke straight back in the 12th game to set up a tie-break. Nishikori earned a mini-break to earn three set points at 6-3. Bedene saved all three chances to draw level to 6-6, but Nishikori sealed the tie-break 8-6 on his fourth chance.
Bedene broke serve in the sixth game of the second set to take a 4-2 lead. Nishikori broke straight back to draw level to 4-4. Bedene saved a break point to hold serve after three deuces before sealing the second set 7-5.
Bedene fended off a break point in the third game of the decider. Both players went on serve until the seventh game, when Nishikori got the only break of the third set after coming back from 40-30 down. The Japanese player served out the third set in the 10th game on the second match point.
This year’s Australian Open semifinalist and Dubai champion Aslan Karatsev beat Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4 6-3.
Kukushkin earned the first break of the match in the third game at deuce to take a 2-1 lead. Karatsev won four consecutive games from 2-4 down with two breaks to claim the opening set 6-4.
Karatsev opened up a 2-0 lead with an early break in the second game. Kukushkin broke straight back in the third game for 1-2. Karatsev earned another break in the fourth game and held his next three service games to close out the second set 6-3.
Italian Next Gen star Lorenzo Musetti cruised past Benoit Paire 6-3 6-3 after 61 minutes setting up a third round match against either Marin Cilic or Christian Garin. Musetti has won eight of his past nine matches including all his qualifying and main draw in Acapulco, where he reached the semifinals before losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Paire earned an immediate break in the first game of the opening set. Musetti broke straight back after Paire made a forehand error and a double fault. Musetti saved a break point in the third game with a running crosscourt forehand passing shot to hold his serve, but he had to save two break points to hold serve for 4-3 before earning his first break in the eighth game to win the first set 6-3.
Musetti broke serve in the third game after a double fault from Paire to take a 2-1 lead. The 2021 Acapulco semifinalist earned two match points on return with a passing shot down the line and sealed the win 6-3 with a break after Paire made a backhand error.
Lorenzo Sonego beat US qualifier Bjorn Fratangelo 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to reach the third round, where he will face either Alex De Minaur or Daniel Elahi Galan.
Fratangelo started the match with an immediate break at deuce in the first game of the opening set. Sonego broke straight back in the second game.
Sonego went up a break in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead, but Fratangelo pulled the break back and consolidated it with a hold to draw level to 4-4. Sonego got his third break in the ninth game at 30, as Fratangelo was serving to stay in the set. Fratangelo saved the only break in the fourth game of the second set en route to the tie-break. Fratangelo took a 5-4 lead in the tie-break, but Sonego won three consecutive points with two mini-breaks to claim the tie-break 7-5.
