Nelson Morales

Tennis: Sinner, Sabalenka march on in Miami as more seeds crash out

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1774329156004AFP__20260129__94E89YP__v1__MidRes__TennisAusOpen.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Belarus&#x27; Aryna Sabalenka serves against Ukraine&#x27;s Elina Svitolina during their women&#x27;s singles semi-final match on day twelve of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 29, 2026. William West, AFP/File" width="960"/>Belarus&#x27; Aryna Sabalenka serves against Ukraine&#x27;s Elina Svitolina during their women&#x27;s singles semi-final match on day twelve of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 29, 2026. William West, AFP/File</div>MIAMI -- Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka kept their &quot;Sunshine Double&quot; dreams alive with emphatic victories at the ATP/WTA Miami Open on Monday as defending men&#x27;s champion Jakub Mensik joined a slew of seeds who crashed out.Sinner and Sabalenka are bidding to join an elite band of players who have won Indian Wells and the Miami Open back-to-back, and arrived in Florida brimming with confidence after their respective victories in the California desert earlier this month.Women&#x27;s world number one Sabalenka, defending the Miami title she won for the first time last year, cruised into the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 demolition of China&#x27;s 2024 Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.Sinner, who is chasing a second victory in Miami after lifting the title in 2024, was similarly comfortable in his third-round clash with French 30th seed Corentin Moutet, winning 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the last 16.Sabalenka is aiming to become only the fifth woman to complete the Indian Wells-Miami double after Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek.On Monday&#x27;s form, few would bet against the big-hitting four-time Grand Slam champion from Belarus, who comfortably disposed of 23rd seed Zheng in 1hr 25min.&quot;She&#x27;s a tough opponent and I&#x27;m super happy with the level I played at today,&quot; Sabalenka said in her on-court interview. &quot;I can definitely say that it felt like home.&quot;I feel like I&#x27;m getting better, serving better, getting used to these conditions, which are tricky. But I&#x27;m getting more and more comfortable with every match,&quot; added Sabalenka, who faces unseeded American Hailey Baptiste in the quarter-finals.Baptiste was one of three American women to advance to the last eight on Monday.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/3/24/alex-eala-bows-out-of-miami-open-0012">READ: Alex Eala bows out of Miami Open in loss to Karolina Muchova</a></div>Fourth seed Coco Gauff downed Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, while fifth seed Jessica Pegula beat another Romanian, Jacqueline Cristian 6-4, 6-1.Canada&#x27;s Victoria Mboko, seeded 10, upset Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-0 to set up a quarter-final with Czech 13th seed Karolina Muchova, who strolled past Alexandra Eala of the Philippines 6-0, 6-2.<div> </div><div>- Sinner stroll, Mensik falls -<img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1774329132962AFP__20260324__2268058491__v2__MidRes__MiamiOpenPresentedByItau2026Day7.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates after defeating Corentin Moutet of France during Day 7 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 23, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Rich Storry, Getty Images/AFP" width="960"/>Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates after defeating Corentin Moutet of France during Day 7 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 23, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Rich Storry, Getty Images/AFP</div>In the men&#x27;s draw, Italian second seed Sinner was always in control against France&#x27;s Moutet on the Hard Rock Stadium&#x27;s main court.Sinner will face unseeded American Alex Michelsen in the last 16. Michelsen defeated Chile&#x27;s Alejandro Tabilo 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 earlier Monday.But while Sinner sailed through, defending champion Jakub Mensik was among the latest crop of seeds to tumble out, losing a gruelling three-setter against 19th seed Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 7-6 (13/11).A 2hr 55min slug-fest was decided by a marathon third set tiebreak when Czech 20-year-old Mensik saved six match points before finally succumbing.US hope Tiafoe, who himself saved two match points in the final tiebreak, sealed victory after converting his seventh match point when a Mensik return of serve drifted wide.Tiafoe will face France&#x27;s Terence Atmane in the last 16. Atmane powered into the fourth round with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 upset of Canadian seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Monday.Auger-Aliassime joined a lengthening list of seeds who have stumbled in the early rounds in Miami that includes Indian Wells runner-up Daniil Medvedev, who was shown the door earlier Monday in a 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 loss to Argentina&#x27;s Francisco Cerundolo.Medvedev&#x27;s exit followed the departures of world number one Carlos Alcaraz, Australian fifth seed Alex De Minaur and eighth seed Ben Shelton.Another French player, 31st seed Ugo Humbert, beat Kazakhstan&#x27;s Alexander Shevchenko 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).Third seed Alexander Zverev got past Croatian veteran Marin Cilic 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.

Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka kept their "Sunshine Double" dreams alive with emphatic victories at the ATP/WTA Miami Open on Monday as defending men's champion Jakub Mensik joined a slew of seeds who crashed out.

Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka kept their "Sunshine Double" dreams alive with emphatic victories at the ATP/WTA Miami Open on Monday as defending men's champion Jakub Mensik joined a slew of seeds who crashed out.