Miami Open: Alcaraz Loses to Goffin; Djokovic Equals Nadal in ATP Masters 1000 Wins
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Synopsis
In a surprising outcome at the Miami Open, Carlos Alcaraz fell to David Goffin in the second round. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic marked his comeback with a significant win, tying Rafael Nadal for the most ATP Masters 1000 victories.
Key Takeaways
- Carlos Alcaraz defeated by David Goffin.
- Novak Djokovic ties Rafael Nadal for most ATP Masters 1000 wins.
- Daniil Medvedev upset in first round.
- Mirra Andreeva crushes competition in debut.
- Iga Swiatek continues strong form.
Miami, March 22 (NationPress) Carlos Alcaraz faced a defeat against Belgium’s David Goffin with scores of 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the Miami Open on Friday (local time). Goffin successfully broke the second seed in each set, clinching victory on his second match point when Alcaraz, sliding across the court, was unable to return a forehand that Goffin skillfully placed in the corner.
Next up for Goffin is American Brandon Nakashima, who secured a victory over Roberto Carballes Baena with scores of 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Six-time Miami Open champion Novak Djokovic made a strong return to the tournament, showcasing a dominant performance with a 6-0, 7-6(1) win against Australia's Rinky Hijikata, moving on to the third round. This marks Djokovic’s first appearance in Miami since 2019, and his victory is his 410th ATP Masters 1000 match win, tying him with Rafael Nadal for the most wins in this series.
"I aimed to make a statement to myself and to others that I can still compete at a high level," Djokovic shared with reporters.
Conversely, Russian seventh seed Daniil Medvedev, the reigning Miami champion and fresh from a semifinal appearance at Indian Wells, suffered a surprising loss in the first round, falling 6-2, 6-3 to Spain's Jaume Munar.
Other noteworthy results included former Miami finalists Casper Ruud and Grigor Dimitrov advancing, while Australian Nick Kyrgios, who recently secured his first win since 2022, was defeated 7-6(3), 6-0 by Karen Khachanov.
On the women’s side, Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, making her Miami Open debut after winning the first part of the Sunshine Double at Indian Wells, dominated Veronika Kudermetova 6-0, 6-2. Andreeva will face Amanda Anisimova, the Doha champion, in the next round.
Polish second seed Iga Swiatek maintained her strong performance, defeating Caroline Garcia 6-2, 7-5 for the second consecutive time in tournaments. Swiatek is set to meet Belgian Elise Mertens in the third round after Mertens triumphed over Peyton Stearns 6-4, 6-1.
Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, progressed with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Elina Avanesyan from Armenia and will next compete against Filipino wildcard Alexandra Eala, who defeated 25th seed Jelena Ostapenko 7-6(2), 7-5.
Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu also moved ahead with a hard-fought 7-6(6), 2-6, 7-6(3) win over Emma Navarro. Additional women advancing included Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa and Czech 15th seed Karolina Muchova.
