Kenin battles past Petkovic to advance in Miami

Despite suffering an early match hiccup, World No.4 Sofia Kenin was able to right the ship and battle past Andrea Petkovic to advance at the 2021 Miami Open.

The fourth seed required two hours to pull off the 6-7(6) 6-1 6-3 victory on Friday night, as her German opponent looked to be the aggressor in the early stages of the match. Although Petkovic acquired a 3-1 lead in the first set, Kenin broke back to level at 3-3. With no more breaks of serve, a tiebreak ensued that saw Petkovic escape with the first set.

However, momentum was on the American's side in the second set as she broke in the opening game. Kenin proceeded to win five of the next six games, capitalizing on Petkovic's frustration and inconsistency.

It was a similar tale in the final set, as Kenin again obtained an early break to lead 3-1. The 107th-ranked Petkovic was able to break back to level the score, but a second break saw the 2020 Australian Open champion prevail after a hard-fought match.

Awaiting Kenin in the third round is Tunisian Ons Jabeur, who overcame Paula Badosa in three sets earlier in the day.

Click here for live scores and results from the Miami Open.