Sinner and Pegula cruise into Miami Open third round, Medvedev survives scare

[p]The 24-year-old Italian and reigning Wimbledon champion dispatched 76th-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dzumhur-damir/hMrlbuuQ/"]Damir Dzumhur[/a] of Bosnia and Herzegovina [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/dzumhur-d-hMrlbuuQ/sinner-j-6HdC3z4H/?mid=nJAQXHKq"]6-3, 6-3[/a] on the Florida hardcourts.[/p][p]"[b]First round matches are never easy, so I'm very happy and let's see what's coming[/b]," [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Sinner[/a] said.[/p][p]He will next face either France's 31st-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moutet-corentin/bX0EWcV9/"]Corentin Moutet[/a] or Czech [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/machac-tomas/S44E7UYr/"]Tomas Machac[/a].[/p][p]Four-time Grand Slam winner Sinner, who won the 2024 Miami crown, captured his 25th career ATP title by beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/medvedev-daniil/O8qG0Nhb/"]Daniil Medvedev[/a] in the Indian Wells final earlier this month.[/p][p]Sinner is trying to become the first man to sweep the "Sunshine Double" by winning at Miami and Indian Wells since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/federer-roger/GrsQDFC0/"]Roger Federer[/a] in 2017.[/p][p]Sinner broke for a 2-0 lead when Dzumhur sent a backhand long, and the Italian held serve from there to take the first set in 34 minutes, saving a break point in the seventh game with an ace.[/p][embed guid="b63768e9-2365-4b1e-a770-565fe66e692a" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDB_DXBTihY" social-type="youtube" /][p]In the second set, Sinner broke for a 2-1 lead and broke again on match point with a backhand winner to end matters after 70 minutes, dropping only eight points on his serve in the match.[/p][p]"[b]Starting off with a break straight away, I tried to be a bit aggressive[/b]," Sinner said. "[b]At times it worked very well, at times I made couple of unforced errors. But I didn't have a lot of time to adjust here. It's very different than in Indian Wells[/b]."[/p][p]Former number one Medvedev struggled early but took a fightback victory over Japanese 19-year-old wildcard [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sakamoto-rei/AeBHWNls/"]Rei Sakamoto[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/medvedev-d-O8qG0Nhb/sakamoto-r-AeBHWNls/?mid=pKqRQsn3"]6-7(10), 6-3, 6-1[/a] to reach the third round.[/p][p]Medvedev needed two hours and four minutes to subdue Sakamoto, who was playing only his seventh tour-level match and facing his first top-10 opponent.[/p][embed guid="6aac5223-d793-4f4b-9a2a-ceae498ea1f7" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC3oEcf2tPc" social-type="youtube" /][p]Medvedev, the ninth seed, saved five set points, and Sakamoto saved one before the teen broke through to capture the first set in just under an hour when Medvedev sent a forehand wide, his 17th unforced error of the set.[/p][p]In the second set, 2021 US Open champion Medvedev saved four break points in the third game then took the first break of the match for a 4-2 lead when Sakomoto hit a backhand volley wide, then held on to force a third set, which the Russian dominated.[/p][p]Canadian seventh seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/auger-aliassime-felix/CzXh4LAb/"]Felix Auger-Aliassime[/a] advanced by defeating Hungary's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fucsovics-marton/GhQFzFli/"]Marton Fucsovics[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/auger-aliassime-f-CzXh4LAb/fucsovics-m-GhQFzFli/?mid=SzsJAaWo"]7-6(3), 7-5[/a], into a third-round matchup with France's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/atmane-terence/6mkEQ279/"]Terence Atmane[/a], who beat countryman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rinderknech-arthur/pIxZZsof/"]Arthur Rinderknech[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/atmare-t-6mkEQ279/rinderknech-a-pIxZZsof/?mid=Y7O4nJdl"]7-6(4), 6-3[/a].[/p][embed guid="c761df47-68e6-4e79-9ea2-93b39affb9ec" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D1KbyKEQEs" social-type="youtube" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mensik-jakub/UFj257G8/"]Mensik[/a], who fell in the third round at Indian Wells, was feeling the after-effects of illness as well as the pressure of defending his title in a rocky first set but righted the ship to beat Australian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/walton-adam/jNRjAU1U/"]Adam Walton[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/mensik-j-UFj257G8/walton-a-jNRjAU1U/?mid=rNa5KU03"]3-6, 6-2, 6-4[/a].[/p][p][b]"The first set it was horrible from my side,"[/b] the Czech said.[/p][p]After surrendering his serve twice in the first set, Mensik regrouped to break Walton in the opening game of the second set on the way to forcing a third, and with a break in hand for a 3-1 lead, rolled home.[/p][p][b]"It was really difficult to come back to the match rhythm,"[/b] Mensik said.[b] "(I'm) really happy that mentally I stayed focused and tough. The pressure that was around, I tried not to focus on that, tried to focus on my game."[/b][/p][p]Fourth-seeded German [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zverev-alexander/dGbUhw9m/"]Alexander Zverev[/a] cruised into the third round with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/damm-m-vX7WOXtP/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=65WpwqMr"]6-2, 6-4[/a] victory over 133rd-ranked American Martin Damm. But eighth-seeded home hope [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shelton-ben/QNuG0Gzb/"]Ben Shelton[/a] was ousted by Kazakhstan's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shevchenko-alexander/jTIB3FIA/"]Alexander Shevchenko[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/shelton-b-QNuG0Gzb/shevchenko-a-jTIB3FIA/?mid=2qjNXggA"]6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3[/a].[/p][embed guid="2bcaafc8-a980-4110-b4f5-550f4c267add" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2035498278238797971?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Gibson ousts Osaka[/h2][p]On the women's side, US fifth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pegula-jessica/KdojxrAR/"]Jessica Pegula[/a] advanced to the third round in only 38 minutes after Britain's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jones-francesca/OU6w8nNa/"]Francesca Jones[/a] retired due to illness, trailing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/jones-f-OU6w8nNa/pegula-j-KdojxrAR/?mid=4KOBmmne"]6-1, 3-0[/a].[/p][p]"[b]I was just trying to focus on myself, stay in there every point, stay super positive[/b]," Pegula said.[/p][p]Pegula, last year's Miami runner-up, will next face Canadian 26th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandez-leylah-annie/8EI3pJOd/"]Leylah Fernandez[/a], who eliminated fellow left-hander [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/selekhmeteva-oksana/v7vDWRvO/"]Oksana Selekhmeteva[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/fernandez-l-a-8EI3pJOd/selekhmeteva-o-v7vDWRvO/?mid=ddGQf8mo"]7-6(1), 3-6, 6-1[/a] in two hours and 25 minutes.[/p][p]Japanese 14th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osaka-naomi/MDM4BKiA/"]Naomi Osaka[/a], a four-time Grand Slam winner, was ousted by Australian qualifier [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gibson-talia/8GwNXON6/"]Talia Gibson[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gibson-t-8GwNXON6/osaka-n-MDM4BKiA/?mid=OG1zbbL6"]7-5, 6-4[/a].[/p][p]Gibson, a first-time WTA quarter-finalist at Indian Wells, next faces 18-year-old American 18th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jovic-iva/bmWvBlnL/"]Iva Jovic[/a], who eliminated Spain's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/badosa-paula/Wl76rX3I/"]Paula Badosa[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/badosa-gibert-paula-Wl76rX3I/jovic-i-bmWvBlnL/?mid=dn9sW2BM"]6-2, 6-1[/a] in 76 minutes.[/p][embed guid="4d9d3cc7-6a3a-4b54-9a2d-b006e516417a" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aRU8pLWGEY" social-type="youtube" /][p]Fourth-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Coco Gauff[/a] led the way into the women's fourth round, roaring back for a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gauff-c-f5BXmEH6/parks-a-Uwhd6a1e/?mid=rJPHa9sR"]3-6, 6-0, 6-1[/a] victory over fellow American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/parks-alycia/Uwhd6a1e/"]Alycia Parks[/a].[/p][p]Teenagers [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andreeva-mirra/lI6fOOat/"]Mirra Andreeva[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mboko-victoria/AqVez8TJ/"]Victoria Mboko[/a] booked a last-16 meeting that will be their third clash of the WTA season.[/p][p]Eighth-seeded Russian Andreeva defeated Czech [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bouzkova-marie/WMS3AdAb/"]Marie Bouzkova[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/andreeva-m-lI6fOOat/bouzkova-m-WMS3AdAb/?mid=E33tpswJ"]7-6 (7/4), 6-2[/a], while 10th-seeded Canadian Mboko downed Russian qualifier [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zakharova-anastasia/pQGynuhR/"]Anastasia Zakharova[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/mboko-v-AqVez8TJ/zakharova-a-pQGynuhR/?mid=OliRzGBd"]6-1, 7-5[/a].[/p][p]Andreeva, 18, and 19-year-old Mboko have split their last two matches, Andreeva winning in the final at Adelaide in January before Mboko sent her packing in the third round at Doha - saving a match point in the three-set win and going on to reach the final.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eala-alexandra/ppu9X7PH/"]Alexandra Eala[/a], whose surprise semi-final run last year launched her rise from 140th in the world to her current 29th, reached the last 16 with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/eala-a-ppu9X7PH/linette-m-vXvzyRlq/?mid=6ymuO1hB"]6-3, 7-6 (7/2)[/a] victory over Poland's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/linette-magda/vXvzyRlq/"]Magda Linette[/a] - who had toppled third-ranked compatriot [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swiatek-iga/jNyZsXZe/"]Iga Swiatek[/a] in the second round.[/p][p]Women's second-round play wrapped up as the rain-hit tournament got back on schedule.[/p]