Miami Open: Tiafoe and Berrettini Start Strong; Rublev Eliminated
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Synopsis
On March 23, Frances Tiafoe marked his 100th ATP Masters 1000 match with a significant win, defeating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Meanwhile, Matteo Berrettini also advanced, while Andrey Rublev faced an unexpected exit from the tournament.
Key Takeaways
- Tiafoe earns his 50th ATP Masters 1000 victory.
- Rublev upset by Zizou Bergs in the second round.
- Joao Fonseca becomes the youngest to reach third round since Alcaraz.
- Matteo Berrettini wins his opening match against Gaston.
- Arthur Fils advances after Diallo's retirement.
Miami, March 23 (NationPress) In his 100th ATP Masters 1000 match, Frances Tiafoe secured his 50th victory at this elite level by defeating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina with a score of 7-5, 7-6(5). The 27-year-old achieved his first Top 40 win since outlasting Daniil Medvedev at the Laver Cup last September, improving to 3-1 in his Lexus ATP Head-to-Head series against Davidovich Fokina, avenging a prior loss in Acapulco last month.
"Victories like this are significant for me," Tiafoe remarked, having saved all four break points faced after dropping serve in the opening game. "Every win is crucial at this moment, but particularly given my aggressive play, I'm truly pleased with the result."
Tiafoe's next opponent will be 17th seed Arthur Fils, who was leading lucky loser Gabriel Diallo 6-4, 2-3 before the Canadian retired due to an ankle injury.
In contrast, Andrey Rublev fell victim to an upset, as Belgium's Zizou Bergs defeated him 7-5, 6-4. The 25-year-old Bergs celebrated his first Top 20 victory by eliminating the No. 9 player in the ATP Rankings, progressing to his first ATP Masters 1000 third round.
Bergs aims for another upset against Matteo Berrettini in the third round, following the Italian's Miami opener where he triumphed over Hugo Gaston with scores of 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
In a sequel to the 2024 Kitzbuhel final, 29th-seeded Berrettini showcased a commanding serving performance against lucky loser Gaston.
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca has made history by becoming the youngest player to reach the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 since Carlos Alcaraz in Paris 2021.
Fonseca delivered an outstanding performance against 19th seed Ugo Humbert, winning 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 for the first time in his promising career.
Due to a last-minute schedule adjustment, Fonseca and Humbert's second-round match was moved from Grandstand to Stadium.
Fonseca has enjoyed a swift ascent at the start of the 2025 season; he clinched his first tour-level title in Buenos Aires in February and has achieved a new career-high ranking of No. 58 in the ATP Live Rankings.
