Andrey Rublev dropped only three games as he took a 6-1, 5-2 lead against Tennys Sandgren on Saturday, with an eye on reaching the third round at the Miami Open presented by Itau for the second edition in a row.
The fourth seed has been one of the most in-form players of the season, and he brought a Tour-leading 16 wins in 2021 into his Miami opener. Serving for the match as the rain began to come down, Rublev already created two match points against Sandgren to extend his count.
Rublev’s controlled aggression was on display from the start on Grandstand at Hard Rock Stadium. The Russian No. 2 took the lead at 3-1 after converting his fourth break point, outlasting Sandgren in a marathon eight-minute game. But he needed just 59 seconds to consolidate to love with powerful first serves, and Rublev didn’t leave any openings for Sandgren as he closed out the opening set.
The fourth seed hasn't face a break point during the match, and he kept the American under pressure in the second as he created break opportunities in three of his four service games. After taking a 5-2 lead with a double break, Rublev was made to wait to serve out the match as rain halted play in Miami.
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The 23-year-old arrived in South Florida looking to make his mark at the ATP Masters 1000 level. He’s been on song since the start of the season, adding an ATP Cup trophy for Russia and an ATP 500 title in Rotterdam to his cabinet.
A victory against Sandgren would send Rublev would equal his previous best result in Miami. He would take on the winner of No. 29 seed Marton Fucsovics and Thanasi Kokkinakis with an eye on reaching the fourth round for the first time. Fucsovics lead Australian qualifier Kokkinakis by a set before play was paused, 7-6(3), 1-0.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3ryFszf
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