Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff were knocked out of the women’s singles at the Miami Open on Monday, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced in the women’s doubles.
Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2, hours after third seed Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.
Alexandrova beat a top-ranked player for the first time and advanced to face Jessica Pegula, a 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 winner over Emma Navarro, in the quarter-finals.
Photo: Geoff Burke-USA Today
Alexandrova recorded her second win over Swiatek, following a 2021 victory in Melbourne. Swiatek had won their three matches since.
“We played quite a few times before and sometimes it was three sets,” Alexandrova said. “I think sometimes I was quite close to it, but still far away. Winning against her, of course it feels great. I’m not sure if it’s a surprise or not, but I just worked quite hard on the court and it paid off.”
Swiatek rallied from a set down and beat Linda Noskova a day earlier. Against Alexandrova, she struggled.
Photo: AFP
“Disappointed for sure because I thought I was going to play better here in Miami, but she played an amazing match and for sure, she was the better player out there today” Swiatek said. “Her serve, I had a had time reading it. I got a little bit tense when I couldn’t return well.”
Garcia defeated her second straight Grand Slam champion to reach Miami’s quarter-finals. She ousted four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 on Sunday.
Garcia said it had been a while since she had a victory over a top-10 opponent like Gauff.
Photo: AFP
“You keep working and trying to stay positive about what’s coming, that it’s going to pay off,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s very hard, but I’m lucky enough to have very good people behind me to help me and stay positive when I’m struggling.”
“It means a lot to have this little reward and keep going in the tournament,” she said.
Also moving into the quarterfinals was fourth seed Elena Rybakina, who defeated 17th seed Madison Keys of the US 6-3, 7-5.
Photo: Geoff Burke-USA Today
Rybakina next faces No. 8 seed Maria Sakkari, who advanced to the quarter-finals when 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya withdrew with a thigh injury.
Victoria Azarenka, who has won the Australian Open twice, made the quarter-finals with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Katie Boulter.
Yulia Putintseva also advanced, defeating 27th seed Anhalina Kalinina 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), while Danielle Collins of the US ousted Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-2.
In the women’s doubles, Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium defeated Brazil’s Ingrid Martins and Anna Blinkova of Russia 7-5, 7-5 in the round of 16.
They are scheduled to meet Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin in the quarter-finals this morning Taiwan time after the US pair beat Monica Niculescuof Romania and Oksana Kalashnikova of Georgia 6-3, 6-4.
In the men’s singles, top seed Carlos Alcaraz powered into the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-4 win over French veteran Gael Monfils.
The 37-year-old Monfils was coping well with the power play of the talented Spaniard until he hurt his ankle in the fifth game.
While Monfils carried on bravely, bringing out some wonderful defensive shots from Alcaraz, the world No. 2 was too much for the Parisian.
There were plenty of smiles, in between the occasional wince from Monfils, who enjoyed some entertaining rallies where Alcaraz could show his deftness of touch.
With the outcome feeling like a formality, Alcaraz eased off the gas and Monfils was able to break for the first time to reduce the deficit to 5-3.
Monfils then held his serve with a brilliant cross court winner before Alcaraz wrapped up business to book a place in the fourth round against Lorenzo Musetti.
“He’s a great athlete,” Alcaraz said of Monfils. “He reads almost every ball, so I had to be patient, but at the same time, with my forehand, my best shot, try to move him around the court, to get him tired a little bit and give myself the chance to dominate the point, get to the net, hit my best shot.”
The others to advance were: Alexander Zverev, Karen Khachanov, Alex de Minaur, Fabian Marozsan, Hubert Hurkacz and Grigor Dimitrov.
Additional reporting by staff writer and AFP
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