Miami Open 2021: Day 3-Kvitova, Sabalenka, Barty, Halep all live to see another day even as Keys and Gauff fall by the wayside

Day-3 of the Miami Open 2021 saw a lot of movement as top seeds, who had a bye in the first round, took to the courts. Barty, Halep, Kvitova, Sabalenka all booked their places in the third round, while a few like Alicia Keys and Coco Gauff bid goodbye to the tournament. 

Petra Kvitova rolls on like a Rolls Royce 

Kvitova had recently pulled out of the Dubai Open with a thigh injury, this followed the perfect week before that where she had lifted the Qatar Open trophy. The only concern for her and her team would have been the recurrence of that injury. But Kvitova was at her fluent best against her second round opponent Alize Cornet, especially in the first set which she won 6-0.

In the second she just finished the match comfortably in her own time. In the end she won the match in straight sets 6-0 6-4. Her third round opponent is seventeenth seed Johanna Konta.

Aryna Sabalenka gets an early scare 

Sabalenka was playing against an opponent who had come through the Qualifiers and had already played three matches when they met in the second round. Tsvetana Pironkova was never going to be an easy opponent. Pironkova had come back to tennis last season, after a hiatus of two years, and reached the Quarter Finals of the US Open, and she showed everyone why by taking the first set 6-0.

Sabalenka fought back and won the second set 6-3. The third set was a battle, initiatives were gained and lost, and eventually after twenty games of tennis in the third set, Sabalenka emerged victorious, 0-6  6-3  7-6(11-9). Next up for her is Veronika Kudermetova. 

Ash Barty saves match point before clawing back and winning

Barty was taken the full distance by qualifier Kristina Kucova. In her first match outside Australia in over a year, Ash Barty was on the brink of elimination before fighting back and winning the match.

Barty won the first set 6-3, before losing the second 4-6. In the third set Barty was down 2-5 and staring at the possibility of a first round. But she forced her way back into the match and eventually won 6-3 4-6 7-5. Her next round opponent is Jeļena Ostapenko.

Watch: Ashleigh Barty vs. Kristina Kucova | 2021 Miami Open Round 2 | WTA Match Highlights

Simona Halep made to battle hard 

Halep was playing for the first time post her Quarterfinal exit from the Australian Open 2021. In a match which can in fact be called an easy encounter for Halep, against Caroline Garcia, as she leads the head to head 6-1. But, Halep was up for a rude shock when she lost the first set 3-6.

But then the fighter instincts kicked in and Halep started the comeback. She took the next set 6-4, and in the third and final set routed Garcia 6-0. The final score line in favor of Halep 3-6 6-4 6-0. Next up for Halep is Anastasija Sevastova. 

Local talents Madison Keys and Coco Gauff exit the tournament

It’s always a slightly unfortunate situation when local players exit the tournament early. It’s beneficial for the tournament too if local players make it deep into the tournament.

But none of that was to be as eighteenth seed Madison Keys lost in straight sets to Ana Konjuh, 6-4 6-2. Gauff, who is considered the future of American tennis lost to Anastasija Sevastova in three sets, 6-1 2-6 3-6. 

OTHER RESULTS: 

• Veronika Kudermetova defeats Danielle Collins (6-3, 6-2)
• Marketa Vondrousova defeats Wang Qiang (6-4, 6-4)
• Iga Swiatek defeats Barbora Krejcikova (6-4, 6-2)
• Belinda Bencic defeats Zarina Diyas (6-2, 6-1)
• Elina Svitolina defeats Shelby Rogers(3-6, 7-5, 6-3)

Also Read:  ‘A pathway to return to the traditional 52 week system’: WTA on the New Ranking system adjustments