Australian Open champ Kerber moves into Volvo semifinals

Associated PressApr 8, 2016, 4:48 PM EDT

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber moved a step closer to her second straight Volvo Car Open title, moving into the semifinals with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Irina Camelia Begu on Friday.

“I’m feeling like home,” the 28-year-old German told the crowd after her eighth straight match win on the green clay of Charleston.

And this latest victory could be a powerful repeat omen – Kerber topped her Romanian opponent in the quarterfinals for a second straight year. That match required Kerber to gut out two difficult tiebreakers to advance. This one was an overpowering barrage of precise groundstrokes and relentless returns.

Kerber was nearly sent packing after her opening match Tuesday night, but she escaped Lara Arruabarrena by winning a third-set tiebreaker. Ever since, Kerber has found her rhythm and defeated her past two opponents by identical scores.

“So the first (clay court) matches, of course, are like the toughest ones,” she said. “Now, I’m feeling better and better. And it’s great, yeah, to play good tennis again on clay.”

Especially when she’s looking to prove at the upcoming French Open that her first Grand Slam title in Melbourne was no fluke.

Sure, it’s early in the clay-court season, but no one’s looked more comfortable on the chalky, dusty, slow surface so far than Kerber while continuing a run of German power at the Volvo Car Open. Women from Germany have won three of the past seven titles here and the past two, with Andrea Petkovic’s 2014 title preceding Kerber’s run to the top a year ago.

“I think the Germans love this tournament,” Kerber said with a grin.

Kerber won the final three games to take the opening set. Begu was up 2-1 and 0-30 in the second set when Kerber rallied back and won the game with a 93 mph ace, which her opponent thought was out although the call was backed by the chair umpire.

Begu’s game unspooled after that. Kerber won eight of the next nine points to move in front for good.

“I was just trying to play more aggressive in the second set and it worked,” she said.

Kerber will play either No. 7 seed Sloane Stephens of the United States or No. 14 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia on Saturday for a spot in the championship match.

No. 5 Sara Errani of Italy is the only other seeded player remaining in the draw. She’ll take on Yulia Putintseva, the 21-year-old from Kazakhstan who ousted Venus Williams on Thursday.

Alcaraz, Fritz, Andreescu advance to Miami Open 3rd round

Associated PressMar 25, 2023, 1:12 AM EDT

Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Carlos Alcaraz picked up a straight-set win at the Miami Open on Friday to keep his world No. 1 ranking over idle Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic is not participating in the Miami Open because he still cannot travel to the United States as a foreign citizen who is not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Alcaraz, who beat Casper Ruud in the 2022 U.S. Open final for his first No. 1 ranking, defeated Facundo Bagnis 6-0, 6-2 to advance to the third round in Miami.

Rafael Nadal dropped out of the top 10 on Monday for the first time in 18 years. Alcaraz, a 19-year-old from Spain, rose into that spot a day after ending Daniil Medvedev’s 19-match winning streak by beating him in straight sets in the final at Indian Wells, California.

Ruud, who’s ranked No. 4, won his match against Ilya Ivashka 6-2, 6-3. He’ll face No. 26 Botic van de Zandschulp on Sunday in the third round.

No. 1 American and No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz began his tournament campaign with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Emilio Nava. Fritz is 17-1 in his opening rounds of hard court tournaments since the start of 2022, with his only loss coming at the 2022 U.S. Open to No. 303 Brandon Holt.

Fritz will next face No. 24 Denis Shapovalov, who defeated Guido Pella on Friday.

On the women’s side, Bianca Andreescu – the 2019 U.S. Open champion – came from a set down to oust No. 7 seed Maria Sakkari 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. Andreescu improved to 2-1 over Sakkari, with both wins coming in Miami.

Andreescu will face Sofia Kenin in the third round.

No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka beat Shelby Rogers 6-4, 6-3 and extended her record to 4-0 versus Rogers. Sabalenka will face No. 31 Marie Bouzková in the third round.

No. 5 Caroline Garcia lost to Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-3. Cirstea beat Garcia 10 days ago in the fourth round at Indian Wells, and will face Karolína Muchová next.

In other action, Varvara Gracheva defeated No. 4 Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-2; and Jannik Sinner beat Laslo Đere 6-4, 6-2.

Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula reach Miami Open 3rd round

Associated PressMar 23, 2023, 11:52 PM EDT

Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Sixth-seeded Coco Gauff opened her 2023 Miami Open with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Rebecca Marino and advanced to the third round where she will face 27th-seeded Anastasia Potapova.

After her victory, Gauff, coming off a quarterfinals appearance at Indian Wells, said in a television interview that it wasn’t her best outing, despite converting five of her nine break points.

“It was a shaky performances honestly,” Gauff said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be a straight forward match, even if I was up a break sometimes.”

Gauff came back from a break down twice in the second set to claim her second career win versus Marino. Gauff defeated Marino in the first round at Roland Garros in 2022.

Gauff said she was a bit nervous playing in her hometown – she’s a native of Delray Beach, Florida, a small city about 40 miles north of Hard Rock Stadium, where the tournament is played. Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat was among those in attendance Thursday.

“Jimmy Butler is here so I was a little bit nervous when I saw him,” Gauff said with a laugh in her post-match interview. “Playing home is something I look forward to, but it’s also a little bit of extra pressure because everyone wants you to do well here.”

Gauff’s doubles teammate, world No. 3 Jessica Pegula beat Katherine Sebov 6-3, 6-1 and advanced to the third round. She will face fellow American and No. 30 Danielle Collins next. Collins defeated Viktoriya Tomova on Thursday.

Pegula made the Miami Open semifinals in 2022 and is among the favorites to win the tournament this year after No. 1-ranked and defending champion Iga Swiatek pulled out of the tournament because of a rib injury.

No. 21 Paula Badosa won 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-2 against Laura Siegemund in a match that lasted two hours and 51 minutes. Badosa will face either Elena Rybakina, who defeated Badosa en route to the Indian Wells title, or Anna Kalinskaya.

Badosa hit with a ball kid during the match to stay warm after Siegemund called for a medical timeout and left the court for treatment, which took nearly 15 minutes.

In other action, Elise Mertens eliminated No. 8 seed Daria Kasatkina 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to advance and face No. 29 Petra Martic next; No. 23 Qinwen Zheng picked up a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 win over Irina-Camelia Begu; and No. 13 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia defeated Tereza Martincová 7-6 (4), 0-6, 6-0.