Prossimo articoloBerrettini Crushes Medvedev at Monte Carlo: Double 6-0

TIE-BREAKFAST - 03/21 Miami Open

Tie-BreakfastMar 21Mar 21, 20266 min

Good morning and welcome back to TIE-Breakfast.

Ace Cream's morning briefing that tells you everything you need to know before starting your day.

Today is Saturday, March 21, in Miami it's 3:30 AM and it's 16 degrees. Alright, let's go.

Today's breakfast menu

🇪🇸 Alcaraz gives Fonseca a tactical masterclass then quotes Nadal: "I remember when he destroyed me"
🇮🇹 Berrettini keeps impressing: Bublik beaten with 17 aces, through to the third round
🇺🇸 Quinn stuns Ruud saving seven set points, Opelka eliminates Draper in two tiebreaks
🇺🇸 Gauff comes back against Cocciaretto in three sets, Sabalenka struggles but advances
🇮🇹 Sinner debuts today against Dzumhur: chasing the Sunshine Double

WHAT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT:

🇪🇸 Alcaraz, The Masterclass And The Memory Of Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz beat Joao Fonseca 6-4, 6-4 in the most anticipated match of Friday, without being broken once. Twenty-six winners, three break points saved out of three, and a match management that stripped the nineteen-year-old Brazilian of everything he needed: time, space, and the chance to hit from a set position.

More than the victory itself, it was the way Alcaraz read the match from the very first game that stood out, varying heights and speeds to disrupt Fonseca's rhythm, avoiding the power war that would have favored the Brazilian. After the match, the quote that will stick: "I remember when I faced the best player on the planet in Madrid, having just arrived on tour. Even though he destroyed me, that experience helped me enormously." And then, speaking about Fonseca: "He needs to learn to choose the right option. Sometimes he misses easy shots because he doesn't pick the right shot in certain situations." Words from someone who was in that spot just a few years ago, and knows it.

🇮🇹 Berrettini Through To The Third Round With His Best Tennis Of The Year

Matteo Berrettini defeated Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-4 with seventeen aces and a performance that, in terms of solidity and consistency, is the best of his season. It's his first win over a top 15 player since the Monte Carlo Masters in 2025, a stat that tells you how much time has passed and how much work has gone into the comeback.

The feeling is that Berrettini is finding a credible competitive dimension again, built on clarity in key moments rather than raw power. Bublik is the kind of opponent who never lets you relax, yet the Italian never seemed weighed down by the pressure of the match. In the third round, he'll face the winner between Navone and Vacherot.

🇺🇸 Quinn Eliminates Ruud, Opelka Stops Draper: An American Friday

Ethan Quinn, twenty-two years old, beat Casper Ruud 6-4, 7-6(7) saving seven set points in the second-set tiebreak, a number that alone tells you what kind of match it was. Thirteen aces, thirty-eight winners, and zero breaks conceded for the American, who came in off a win over Hurkacz and a Challenger title in Phoenix the week before. A player moving upward with a consistency that's becoming hard to ignore.

On the other court, Reilly Opelka eliminated Jack Draper 7-6(3), 7-6(0), forty-seven winners and twenty-five aces in two sets decided by tiebreaks. But while the first was competitive, the second was no contest: 7-0, a dominance Draper couldn't counter. Opelka will face Fritz in the third round, in an all-American clash built on serve and attack.

🇺🇸 Gauff Comes Back Against Cocciaretto, Sabalenka Advances With A Scare

Coco Gauff beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a match the Italian started better than anyone expected, grabbing the first set with two breaks. The turning point came when Gauff figured out how to handle Cocciaretto's timing: "She takes the ball so early that you don't have time to react. Once I adjusted to the pace, I felt I could control the rallies when they got longer." With this win, Gauff reaches 103 victories in WTA 1000 events before turning 23, tying Wozniacki for second all-time.

Aryna Sabalenka struggled more than expected against Ann Li, winning 7-6(5), 6-4 in one hour and 41 minutes. A last-minute court change due to lighting issues affected the Belarusian's preparation, and she never seemed entirely comfortable. Her title defense starts with a few scratches, but Sabalenka showed she can raise her level in the moments that matter.

🎾 The Rest Of Friday: Tsitsipas Dominates, Rybakina Cruises, Kouame's Run Ends

Stefanos Tsitsipas eliminated fifth seed Alex de Minaur 6-1, 7-6(4) with a near-perfect serving performance: 98% of first-serve points won, a number that looks like a typo but isn't. Taylor Fritz beat Van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3, reaching the third round where Opelka awaits. Elena Rybakina dispatched Putintseva 6-3, 6-3 in the Kazakh derby, advancing with the steadiness of someone who has bigger plans for this tournament.

Moise Kouame's run came to an end, beaten by Lehecka 6-2, 7-5. The seventeen-year-old's fairy tale stopped where it was reasonable to expect it would, but what he left behind in his Miami debut will stay.

Jasmine Paolini beat Taylor Townsend 6-3, 1-6, 6-2, a match played in bursts but closed with character. Ostapenko awaits in the third round.

WHAT'S ON TODAY:

Sinner vs Dzumhur (Stadium, not before 1:00 PM local / 6:00 PM CET) - The world number two's debut in Miami. Sinner is chasing the Sunshine Double after winning Indian Wells and is the obvious favorite, but Dzumhur is the kind of opponent who can make life difficult if you let him play.
Medvedev vs Sakamoto (Stadium, following Sinner) - The Indian Wells finalist begins his campaign against the Japanese player. After the loss to Sinner in California, there's curiosity about what shape Medvedev arrives in at Miami.
Gauff vs Parks (Stadium, evening session) - The hometown favorite returns to the court after her comeback against Cocciaretto. Parks is a tricky opponent on these courts.
Zverev vs Damm (Stadium, evening session) - The German's debut, third seed in the men's draw.
Paolini vs Ostapenko - Third round for the Italian, against an unpredictable but dangerous opponent.
Berrettini vs Navone/Vacherot - The Italian looks for confirmation after the best match of his season.
Eight matches postponed from Friday due to rain, including Zheng-Stephens, Badosa-Jovic, Keys-Ruse, and Osaka-Gibson.