Fighting spirit

Miami, March 25

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic staved off a spirited challenge from Federico Delbonis for a 7-5 4-6 6-1 win in the third round of the Miami Open on Sunday.

Like Roger Federer the previous day, top seed Djokovic found it tough going against an unseeded opponent before prevailing in two hours in the Florida twilight.

World No. 83 Delbonis, a left-hander with perhaps the highest ball toss in the game, took advantage of some Djokovic errors in the second set. The result improved Djokovic’s impressive record against Argentine players. According to the ATP Tour, since 2007, only Juan Martin del Potro has beaten Djokovic, who is 36-3 against Argentines during the period. Next up for the Serb is Spanish 22nd seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who prevailed 6-4 6-4 over Italian 15th seed Fabio Fognini.

Nick Kyrgios had more trouble with a heckler than his opponent Dusan Lajovic.

Kyrgios won a point with an underhand serve in the first set, and the Australian then engaged in a heated verbal exchange with a spectator that continued for several points. The spectator was eventually escorted away by security. Kyrgios also had a brief outburst at the chair umpire in a dispute over a line call early in the second set, but then settled down and played out a 6-3 6-1 win in less than an hour.

Next up for Kyrgios is Croatian 11th seed Borna Coric, who battled back to beat Jeremy Chardy of France 6-7(2) 6-2 6-3, closing out in style with an ace. Earlier, defending champion John Isner unleashed 16 aces in a 7-5 7-6(6) victory over Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

The seventh seed will face Britain’s 19th seeded Kyle Edmund in the fourth round. Edmund beat Canadian 12th seed Milos Raonic 6-4 6-4.

Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime continued his stellar form with a 7-6(5) 6-4 win over Pole Hubert Hurkacz. 

Halep vs Venus

Defending champion Sloane Stephens was sent packing on Sunday after a 6-3 6-2 loss to Germany’s Tatjana Maria in the third round.

Second seed Simona Halep fought back from a set down to defeat Polona Hercog while Venus Williams reached the next round with a straight-set win over Daria Kasatkina. Halep had nothing but praise for Hercog, who has a world ranking of 93, after dropping the first set and being pushed all the way in the second by the Slovenian. The Romanian dominated the tiebreak to turn the match around and eventually triumphed 5-7 7-6(1) 6-2.

The world No. 3 faces three-time champion Venus Williams in the fourth round after the American won 6-3 6-1 against 14th seed Kasatkina, who failed to hold serve once.  In other matches, 11th seed Anastasija Sevastova lost 1-6 6-2 6-3 to Yulia Putintseva, while 25th seed Danielle Collins lost 7-5 6-1 to Wang Yafan. — Reuters