MIAMI, March 23: Former US Open champions Emma Raducanu and Sloane Stephens were knocked out of the Miami Open, hours after No. 1-ranked and defending champion Iga Swiatek pulled out of the tournament because of a rib injury.
Bianca Andreescu – the 2019 US Open champ – defeated Raducanu 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Andreescu improved to 2-0 lifetime against Raducanu, the 2021 winner at Flushing Meadows.
Andreescu moves on to face 10th-ranked Maria Sakkari, who had a first-round bye.
Shelby Rogers beat Stephens 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. Stephens has six hard-court titles, including the US Open in 2017 and Miami in 2018.
Rogers will face Australian Open champion and world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who beat Rogers in the second round at Melbourne Park. Sabalenka is coming off a loss in the final at Indian Wells, California, last week.
On the men’s side, Dusan Lajovic beat three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray 6-4, 7-5.
“I served pretty well, but the rest of the game was a bit of a problem today,” the 35-year-old Murray said. “Made a number of errors that obviously I wouldn’t expect to be making. I didn’t really feel like I moved particularly well, which is really important for me.” Lajovic, a 32-year-old Serbian, will face Maxime Cressy, who had a first-round bye.
Swiatek withdrew because of a rib injury that she is hoping will heal during a break from competition. The 21-year-old from Poland also will sit out her country’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifier matches against Kazakhstan on April 13-14. (PTI)
