Juan Martin del Potro returns from break to win in Mexico

Associated PressAug 2, 2018, 6:58 PM EDT

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LOS CABOS, Mexico — Juan Martin del Potro opened his summer hard-court season with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over American Marcos Giron on Wednesday night in the Mifel Open.

Playing for the first time since losing to Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, the top-seeded del Potro set up a quarterfinal match against Egor Gerasimov.

Del Potro won hard-court titles this year at Indian Wells and Acapulco. The fourth-ranked Argentine star has 22 career victories, the biggest on a hard court in the 2009 U.S. Open.

Gerasimov, from Belarus, outlasted fifth-seeded defending champion Sam Querrey of the United States 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (6). Querrey swept the Los Cabos and Acapulco events last year.

Fourth-seeded Adrian Mannarino of France topped Sweden’s Elias Ymer 6-0, 6-2. The Frenchman will play Cameron Norrie, the British left-hander coming off a semifinal appearance in Atlanta. Norrie beat eighth-seded Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-3, 6-3.

Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka also knocked off a seeded player, topping seventh-seeded Taylor Fritz of the United States 7-6 (3), 6-1. Nishioka will face second-seeded Fabio Fognini of Italy.

Third-seeded Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina got past Italy’s Thomas Fabbiano, 7-6 (0), 7-6 (5). He’ll play American Michael Mmoh, a 7-6 (1), 7-6 (2) winner over Canada’s Peter Polansky.

Elena Rybakina hits 10 aces in Miami for 12th straight win

Associated PressMar 28, 2023, 9:50 PM EDT

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina extended her winning streak to 12 matches by delivering 10 aces – her fourth consecutive outing with at least that many – in a 6-3, 6-0 victory over 25th-seeded Martina Trevisan on Tuesday in the Miami Open quarterfinals.

Rybakina has 46 aces through four matches at the hard-court tournament in Florida and a WTA-leading 201 this season.

The 23-year-old, who represents Kazakhstan, improved to 20-4 in 2023, including a run to the Australian Open final in January and a title at Indian Wells, California, last week.

She is trying to become only the fifth player to win the women’s trophies at Indian Wells and Miami in the same season. Top-ranked Iga Swiatek did it a year ago; she withdrew from Miami this time because of a rib injury.

“Of course it would be amazing to achieve something like that,” the 10th-seeded Rybakina said about the prospect of completing what’s known as the Sunshine Double, “but it’s still far away.”

So far in Rybakina’s career, 13 of her 18 semifinal appearances have come on hard courts. She will face No. 3 Jessica Pegula or No. 27 Anastasia Potapova for a berth in the final.

Trevisan reached the French Open semifinals in 2022.

In fourth-round men’s action Tuesday, No. 2 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was beaten 7-6 (4), 6-4 by No. 14 Karen Khachanov, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner all beat seeded opponents in straight sets.

Alcaraz, who returned to No. 1 in the ATP rankings last week, got past Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-4 to set up a meeting against Fritz, the top-ranked American man and seeded ninth in Miami.

Fritz compiled twice as many winners, 22, as unforced errors, 11, and only dropped serve once during a 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 7 Holger Rune. That put Fritz into his first quarterfinal in seven appearances in Miami – and his first matchup against Alcaraz, a 19-year-old from Spain who won the U.S. Open in September for his first Grand Slam title.

“I’m really excited for it,” Fritz said. “I think that a lot of people are really excited for that, too.”

No. 10 Sinner eliminated No. 6 Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 and has yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Sinner’s next opponent will be unseeded Emil Ruusuvuori, a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 winner against No. 26 Botic van de Zandschulp.

Fritz, Sinner reach Miami Open quarterfinals with 2-set wins

Associated PressMar 28, 2023, 4:31 PM EDT

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner beat seeded opponents in straight sets at the Miami Open to move into the quarterfinals.

No. 9 Fritz compiled twice as many winners, 22, as unforced errors, 11, and only dropped serve once during a 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 7 Holger Rune.

That put Fritz, the highest-ranked American man, into his first quarterfinal in seven appearances at the hard-court tournament.

He will face either No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz or Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul next. Alcaraz is the defending champion in Miami.

No. 10 Sinner eliminated No. 6 Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 and has yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Sinner’s next opponent will be No. 26 Botic van de Zandschulp or unseeded Emil Ruusuvuori.