Victoria
Azarenka (No. 32) secured a hard-fought victory against
Peyton Stearns (No. 67)
by 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 to advance to the third round of the
Miami Open. The
Belarusian, a three-time champion of the tournament in 2009, 2011, and 2016,
boasts 152 wins in
WTA 1000 events on hardcourt, ranking third in history,
behind only Agnieszka Radwańska (156) and Caroline Wozniacki (153).
Azarenka
started strong, taking an early lead with a quick break in the second game and
then going up 3-0 in just 10 minutes. However, the American fought back, played
solid service games, and broke back to level at 3-3.
Stearns
grabbed a break and led 5-4 with the chance to serve out the set, but the
2-time Grand Slam champion mounted a comeback, winning the next three games,
including two consecutive breaks, to take the first set 7-5.
The second
set unfolded similarly, with breaks on both sides giving the 22-year-old player
a 3-1 advantage. Both players showed improvements in their serves, although
Stearns was nearly flawless with a 76% first serve percentage and winning 69%
of them, facing only one break point against her during the set. The early
advantage proved enough for her to maintain her lead and win the set 6-3.
The third
set was filled with tension, and Stearns started comfortably with a 2-0 lead,
buoyed by the support of the local crowd. However, she couldn't sustain her
level for the remainder of the set. Azarenka gradually showed greater precision
in the exchanges, particularly dominating from the backhand side, and won the
next four games in a row.
Stearns
displayed physical discomfort and, after holding her serve with the score at
3-4, called for a medical timeout, which didn't prevent her from quickly
breaking back to level at 4-4. However, the Belarusian clinched the last two
games, despite Stearns saving 5 break points against her. Eventually, Azarenka
closed out the match 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
In the
third round, Azarenka will face the 21-year-old rising star Qinwen Zheng, who
recently reached the final of the Australian Open and advanced after Katerina
Siniakova retired during the third set of their match.
