Elena
Rybakina (No. 4) continues her winning streak at the
Miami Open with a
hard-fought victory over
Taylor Townsend (No. 72), prevailing 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4.
The Kazakh player has been dealing with injuries over the past month, forcing
her to withdraw before the quarterfinals of the Dubai Open and just before her
debut in Indian Wells. However, she has already advanced to the fourth round of
the Miami Open.
The 2022
Wimbledon champion faced a tough challenge in the second set but managed to
overcome the local player. Rybakina, a finalist in 2023, secured her 60th WTA
1000 victory and will face the 17th seed
Madison Keys.
In the
first set, Townsend showed more confidence with her serve and created the first
break opportunities but couldn't convert them. Both players had strong service
games, and it seemed like the set would be decided by small margins. Rybakina
broke Townsend's serve in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead and closed out the
set 6-3 on her serve.
Despite
Townsend's solid performance, Rybakina appeared stronger physically and more
effective in rallies as the set progressed. Townsend won 59% of the points on
her serve, while Rybakina won 73% of her service games.
In the
second set, both players continued to serve well. Townsend won 16 of the first
17 points on her serve, while Rybakina dropped only two of her first 14 service
points. However, Rybakina faltered in the eighth game, allowing Townsend to
break her serve and take a 5-3 lead. Despite facing pressure, Rybakina managed
to break back, leveling the set and forcing a tie-break. The tie-break saw
opportunities for both players, with Townsend even holding a set point before
Rybakina eventually prevailed, taking the match to a decisive third set.
Like the
rest of the match, neither player could gain a clear advantage over the other.
Rybakina initially took the lead with an early break, but Townsend quickly
leveled the score in the following game. The
American showcased an impressive level of tennis, far exceeding her No. 73
ranking, and remained competitive against the former Wimbledon champion.
With
the score at 5-4, Rybakina had a break opportunity, which she capitalized on to
secure a hard-fought victory by 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4, advancing to the fourth round
of the tournament where she will face the 17th seed Madison Keys.
