Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka battled past Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 3-6 6-4 after 2 hours and 31 minutes in their first match since 2015 at the Hard Rock Stadium to reach the second round at the Miami Open.
Victoria Azarenka, who won the Miami three times in 2009, 2011 and 2016 and reached the semifinal last year in the previous venue of Crandon Park at Key Biscayne, had achieved two of her previous seven wins at this tournament in the third round in 2011 and in the fourth round in 2012.
Azarenka got an immediate break in the first game of the opening set and went up a double break with a forehand return winner to cruise through to a 5-2 lead. Cibulkova started the second set with a hold of serve before breaking serve at 15 with a lob drive volley to open up a 2-0 lead. Azarenka broke straight back in the third game on the fifth game for 1-2 when Cibulkova made a double fault. Cibulkova got another break in the eighth game with a forehand down the line before serving out the second set to 30.
Cibulkova earned two break points in the third game of the decisive set, but Azarenka held her serve with her seventh ace. Azarenka held her serve with a backhand winner to draw level to 2-2 in the fourth game. Cibulkova broke serve for the first time in the decider with a backhand return to take a 3-2 lead, but Azarenka broke straight back in the sixth game, when Cibulkova missed a backhand. In the eighth game Cibulkova went up 40-15 but she made a double fault. Azarenka came back to break serve with a backhand return. As Azarenka was serving for the match at 30-0, Cibulkova hit a forehand winner and a dropshot to break back on her third break point chance. Cibulkova made two double faults, while she was serving at 4-5. Azarenka earned her first match point with a forehand return winner and converted it with a smash setting up a second round match against Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia.
“It was a little bit of a roller coaster. Dominika is such a dangerous opponent. She has been on the tour for a while and we have played from juniors together. It was an entertaining first match. I think that’s you want to start the tournament. It was such an honour to play here as the first match and I am so excited for the tournament. I thank the organizers for their great work. They have made a good effort to improve the facility”,said Azarenka.
