WTA Miami Open Round-Up Day Four | Aryna Sabalenka tested early, Coco Gauff survives scare as Rybakina advances solidly

The second round of the Miami Open continued with several of the top names in action, and most of them came through despite a few uncomfortable moments. Coco Gauff had to come from a set down against Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Aryna Sabalenka was pushed by Ann Li before advancing in straight sets, and Elena Rybakina controlled the all-Kazakh clash against Yulia Putintseva. Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini, Elina Svitolina and Victoria Mboko also booked their places in the third round.

There was also context behind several of the results. Sabalenka kept her title defence on track, Rybakina continued her solid run as one of the strongest hard-court players in the draw, and Mboko added another notable win as her rise continues. Gauff, meanwhile, avoided an early exit despite serving erratically, while Svitolina and Bencic both relied on their experience to navigate potentially tricky matches.

Coco Gauff came through a difficult second-round match to defeat Elisabetta Cocciaretto 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, recovering from a set down and later from a break deficit in the deciding set. It was not a clean performance from the American, but she managed the key moments better as the match progressed and found enough stability from the baseline to turn it around.

Cocciaretto had taken control late in the first set, winning the final four games in a row as Gauff’s level dropped. The Italian stayed solid on return and benefited from the American’s problems on serve, which remained the central issue throughout the match. Gauff finished with 11 double faults and won only 31% of points on her second serve, numbers that repeatedly gave Cocciaretto openings.

Even so, Gauff remained dangerous whenever rallies extended. She won 77% of points behind her first serve and was particularly effective on return, taking 38% of first-serve return points and 51% of second-serve return points. After edging the second set with a late break, she fell a break behind again in the third, but then responded by winning four consecutive games to regain control. She eventually sealed the win with a final break on her third match point.

The match was a reminder that Gauff can still come through even when she is not serving well, but it also exposed an area that will need to improve quickly if she is to go deeper in the tournament.

Aryna Sabalenka opened her campaign with a 7-6(5), 6-4 win over Ann Li in a match that was much more competitive than the scoreline alone suggests. The defending champion was tested throughout by an aggressive and composed opponent, especially in the first set, but proved stronger in the decisive exchanges.

Li recovered from 1-4 down in the opener to level at 4-4 and pushed Sabalenka all the way to a tiebreak after more than an hour of play. There, the world No. 1 managed the important points better and took the lead. The second set was also tight, with Li continuing to serve effectively and keeping pressure on Sabalenka’s service games.

The numbers underline how competitive the match was. Li actually won 67% of points on her first serve and 54% on her second, while Sabalenka won 64% on first serve and 67% on second. The difference came in the pressure moments. Sabalenka saved four of six break points and converted three of 15 on return, while Li could not make enough of the openings she created. Sabalenka also won 46% of points against Li’s second serve, which helped her stay in control even when the American was serving well.

It was not a dominant display, but it was a solid problem-solving performance. Against a player willing to take risks and hold her ground from the baseline, Sabalenka found enough control at the right time to move into the third round.

Elena Rybakina produced a controlled performance to defeat Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 6-3 and move into the third round. While the scoreline looked straightforward, both sets were competitive in their middle stages before Rybakina separated herself with stronger serving and more effective returning.

The first set saw Putintseva recover an early break to level at 3-3, but Rybakina raised her level late, secured another break and closed the set after 37 minutes. The second followed a similar pattern. Both players held through the early games, but at 3-3 Rybakina again stepped up, targeting Putintseva’s serve and creating the separation she needed. From there, she finished strongly, winning the final four games in a row.

Rybakina’s serve was a major factor. She hit nine aces, landed 64% of first serves and won 75% of those points. Putintseva, interestingly, put in 86% of first serves, but won only 53% of those points, showing how much pressure Rybakina was able to apply even against the first delivery. The world No. 2 also won 47% of first-serve return points and 44% of second-serve return points, excellent numbers in a match where return pressure made the difference.

She now moves on to face Marta Kostyuk, and this was another reminder of how efficient Rybakina can be when she keeps service games short and attacks second serves with conviction.

Victoria Mboko delivered one of the most emphatic performances of the session, beating Anna Blinkova 6-2, 6-0 in just over an hour. The Canadian was in control from the opening set and never allowed Blinkova to settle, particularly by attacking the second serve and taking over the match from the return side.

The first set already showed the pattern. Mboko broke three times and remained calm despite rain interruptions, while Blinkova struggled badly behind her second serve, winning only 31% of those points for the match. The second set was even more dominant, with Mboko racing through it in 25 minutes and finishing with six breaks in seven return games overall.

Statistically, the gap was clear. Mboko won 64% of points on her first serve and 62% on her second, while Blinkova won just 43% on first serve and 31% on second. The Canadian also won 57% of Blinkova’s first-serve points and 69% against the second serve, numbers that explain how relentless she was on return. Blinkova managed to hold only one of her six service games.

For Mboko, it is another impressive win and another strong indicator of how quickly she is adapting to this level. The 19-year-old continues to play with authority, and after this result she moved into the third round looking like one of the most dangerous unseeded names left in the draw.

Belinda Bencic advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Zeynep Sonmez in a match she controlled for most of the day. The Swiss player built the result through consistency on both serve and return, taking the initiative early and never allowing Sonmez to fully establish herself.

Bencic moved ahead with an early break in the first set and remained composed in the closing stages to take it 6-3. The second set quickly tilted further in her favour, as she built a 5-0 lead before Sonmez briefly responded by winning two games in a row. That reaction delayed the finish, but Bencic reset in time and served out the match without further issues.

Her return numbers were especially strong. Bencic won 53% of points against Sonmez’s first serve and 53% against the second, showing a very balanced return performance. She also won 64% of points on her own first serve and 70% on her second, while Sonmez was held to 47% on both first and second serve. That difference in baseline control and first-ball execution made the result feel settled well before the finish. It was not a dramatic match, but it was a useful one for Bencic, who managed it cleanly and moved into the next round without spending too much time in difficult scoreboard situations.

Jasmine Paolini defeated Taylor Townsend 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to reach the third round after a match that shifted sharply between sets. The Italian started well, lost momentum badly in the second, and then regained control quickly enough to stop the match from becoming even more complicated.

Paolini took the opening set by handling the key moments better, securing two breaks to Townsend’s one and eventually converting her third set point. But the second set went strongly in the American’s favour, with Townsend raising her level and taking advantage of a drop in Paolini’s rhythm. That set could easily have changed the entire match if the Italian had not responded immediately in the decider.

Instead, Paolini reset well. She secured an early break in the third set and controlled the scoreboard from there, keeping Townsend from building the same kind of momentum she had found in the second. The world No. 7 closed the match more comfortably from the return side than the overall flow had suggested earlier.

The stats reflect a fairly balanced contest, but one in which Paolini handled pressure better. She saved six of nine break points and held in nine of her 12 service games, while Townsend saved only two of six break points and held eight of 12 times. Paolini also edged the return numbers slightly on first serve, which helped her regain control in the third. It was a solid recovery win rather than a dominant one, but it keeps Paolini moving in the right direction.

Elina Svitolina beat Emerson Jones 6-2, 6-4 in a composed second-round performance that reflected her experience against a much younger opponent coming off a physically demanding opener. Jones had played more than three hours in the first round, and although she had moments of resistance here, she could not sustain the level needed to trouble Svitolina consistently.

The Ukrainian was efficient from the start, breaking down Jones’ serve and protecting her own with very little drama. The first set moved quickly, with Svitolina taking control through more secure baseline patterns and cleaner service games. The second was somewhat closer, but the structure remained the same: Jones was competitive in spells, yet Svitolina remained the more stable player in the important points.

The service numbers tell much of the story. Svitolina hit nine aces, won 81% of points on her first serve and 57% on her second, and saved the only break point she faced. Jones, by contrast, won 68% behind her first serve but only 39% on second serve, and that left her exposed whenever rallies began on neutral terms. Svitolina also won 61% of second-serve return points, which allowed her to control too many Jones service games.

It was a professional performance from Svitolina, who did not give away momentum and rarely allowed the match to become chaotic. She now moves on to face Hailey Baptiste in the third round.