Aryna Sabalenka saved two match points in the tie-break of the third set to come back from one set and a break down in her 0-6 6-3 7-6 (9-7) win over Tsvetana Pironkova after 2 hours and a half to advance to the third round at the Miami Open.
Pironkova broke three times to take a bagel win in the first set and earned an early break to build up a 6-0 3-1 lead. Sabalenka pulled the break back on her second opportunity in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. The Belarusian player turned around the match by winning the final three games with a break at love in the eighth game to claim the second set 6-3 forcing the match to the third set.
Pironkova went up a break in the fourth game at love to take a 3-1 lead after Sabalenka double faulted. Sabalenka broke straight back at love in the fifth game, but Pironkova got back on serve to draw level to 5-5 setting up a tie-break.
Sabalenka came back from 0-2 down to earn two match points at 6-4 after winning six of the next eight points in the tie-break. Pironkova saved both match points to draw level to 6-6. Pironkova held two match points, but Sabalenka saved them before grabbing two more chances. Sabalenka sealed the tie-break with an overhead winner.
“Since a young age, my parents kept telling me: ‘It does not matter what goes on in the court, you just have to fight, and if you will fight, you will get the wins”, said Sabalenka.
Last year’s Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek beat Barbora Krejikova 6-4 6-3. The Polish player went up a double break in the second and seventh games to take a 5-1 lead. Krejikova pulled back on serve at 5-4, but Swiatek broke for the third time in the 10th game to close out the first set 6-4. Krejikova earned a break in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead, but Swiatek won three games in a row with two breaks to take a 4-2. The Pole easily held serve for 5-2 with a forehand winner and secured her spot in the third round, when Krejikova made a double fault on the match point.
Angelique Kerber claimed a 6-0 6-0 win over qualifier Renata Zarazua to score her first double bagel win since her win over Carina Witthoeft in the Wimbledon first round in 2016. Kerber set up a third round match against Victoria Azarenka, who advanced after Laura Siegemund withdrew from the match due to a right knee injury.
“The score, it’s a little bit different than the match was, because a few games were like really close and tough”, said Kerber.
Petra Kvitova cruised past Alizé Cornet 6-0 6-4. Kvitova earned a bagel with three breaks in the first set. The Czech player went up a double break in the fifth and seventh games to build up a 6-0 3-2 lead. Cornet pulled one break back at 3-5 on her third chance in the eighth game at deuce. The French player saved three break point to hold serve after five deuces for 4-5 before Kvitova served out the win on her first match point.
Anastasjia Sevastova rallied from one set down to beat Cori Gauff 1-6 6-2 6-3. Gauff went up a double break in the second and sixth games and saved four break points to win the first set 6-1. Gauff went up a break in the third game to build up a 6-1 2-1 lead. Sevastova won five consecutive games with three breaks to seal the second set 6-2. Sevastova came back from a break down at 1-3 by winning five consecutive games to close out the third set 6-3.
