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.
Three times champion Victoria Azarenka comes back to Miami with a good win over Peyton Stearns 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 to reach the 3rd round. Was a break down in the 3rd. Fantastic match. Stearns really hits some BIG ball. Faces Zheng Qinwen in R3, leads the h2h 1-0.
