
It was a day of early round scares in Florida, as Simona Halep was forced to rally from a set down before booking her spot in the next round of the Miami Open.
The third seed overcame a tough test from Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia, fighting back from a set deficit to prevail 3-6 6-4 6-0 in an hour and 48 minutes. Garcia required only a single break opportunity at 3-2 in the first set to break the Romanian's serve, before holding and surprising everyone with a one-set lead.
It looked like Halep was in danger of an early exit after she dropped serve to open the second set, as Garcia was playing more aggressively and with confidence. However, the World No.3 fought back, employing her defensive prowess and shot-placement to break Garcia twice before claiming the second set.
With momentum on her side, the two-time Grand Slam champion ran away with the final set. She awaits the winner between American Coco Gauff and Latvian Anastasija Sevastova, who will battle for a place in the next round.
Read also
Another Grand Slam champion was in action late Thursday, as 2014 Wimbledon Champion Petra Kvitova took on France's Alize Cornet. The ninth seed completely dominated the first set, breaking Cornet to love on three occasions.
After taking the first set 6-0, Kvitova took her foot off the gas as her French opponent finally got on the scoreboard. Despite getting a break back, Cornet was unable to prevent the onslaught from the Czech superstar, who prevailed 6-0 6-4 after just over an hour.
Kvitova will face Great Britain's Jo Konta in the next round, as the 17th seed defeated Magda Linette 6-4 7-5 earlier in the day.
Click here for live scores and results from Miami.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- Either Lena has a chronic internal ailment (i.e., colitis, enteritis, Crohn's, or some type of lower abdomen issue) -- or she is once again dealing with 'Vukovitis'. Mental stress can indeed cause lower body pains. No matter... whatever is truly going on sucks. "Virus" excuse is getting a bit old -- and often -- at this point.
mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026 - Wtf? Why is there no reason? And what about the men's?Bel08-11-2026
- One step by another step -- WTA continues to 'lose the plot'. Too many hi-tech microphones being installed at most venues!!! Remove them (especially those along the hallways, sidewalks, and pathways throughout the venues. Not to mention (most of all) remove the mic's from the Players/Coaches Box.
mandoist06-11-2026 - Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.
mandoist06-11-2026 - Don't you just love this young lady!? We fans often expect athletes to be supermen and superwomen, often forgetting that they WILL GET TIRED! I love Alex's perspective. Tiredness for an athlete should never be viewed as a negative, especially if you are healthy, taking care of your body and mental health and putting in the work. What a mature perspective. Good for you, Alex!Rapunzel05-11-2026
- Jess is absolutely correct! But the disrespect is a trait I have noticed in most of the Russian players. Mirra is good but very immature and lacks humility. Conceivable needs to get a handle on that!Rapunzel05-11-2026







