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TIE-BREAKFAST - 03/22 Miami Open

Tie-BreakfastMar 22Mar 22, 20266 min

Good morning and welcome back to TIE-Breakfast.

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

Today is Sunday, March 22, in Miami it's 03:30 and it's 16 degrees. Alright, let's go.

Today's menu

🇮🇹 Sinner dispatches Dzumhur and matches a Djokovic record: 24 consecutive sets won at Masters 1000
🇰🇿 Shevchenko eliminates Shelton in comeback, third top-10 win of his career
🇷🇺 Medvedev faces a major scare against world No.164, then escapes in three sets
🇺🇸 Gauff, Jovic and Gibson: the American Saturday of comebacks and generational surprises
🇮🇹 Paolini-Ostapenko and Alcaraz-Korda among Sunday's highlights

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY:

🇮🇹 Sinner On Autopilot, But The Record Tells A Bigger Story

Jannik Sinner beat Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-3 in just over an hour, conceding only eight service points in the entire match and winning 14 of 17 net points. Numbers that belong to a practice session rather than an official match.

But the stat that stands out is another one: with this win, Sinner has reached 24 consecutive sets won at Masters 1000 events, matching the record Djokovic set in 2016 across Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo. His streak of twelve consecutive straight-sets wins at this level is already the longest in tour history. The feeling is that Sinner is going through a phase where he manages to handle even the supposedly easier assignments without ever lowering his level of focus, and for those who have followed him closely, this might be the most interesting signal of all.

🇰🇿 Shevchenko Eliminates Shelton, Who Can't Find Peace In Miami

Alexander Shevchenko beat Ben Shelton 6-7(3), 7-6(3), 6-3, coming back from a situation where he was two points from defeat in the second set, at 4-5 and 15/30. Third career win against a top-10 player for the Kazakh, who found aggressive tennis in the decisive tiebreak and the start of the third set, capable of neutralizing Shelton's power.

The striking stat is Shelton's record in Miami: 1-4 at his home tournament, with the loss to the world No.84 adding to last year's defeat against Coleman Wong, then ranked No.128. More than the individual result, it's a trend that is starting to tell a story about the relationship between Shelton and this tournament, where the pressure of the home crowd seems to weigh more than it helps.

🇷🇺 Medvedev Drops The First Set To Sakamoto, Then Remembers Who He Is

Daniil Medvedev beat Rei Sakamoto 6-7(10), 6-3, 6-1 in two hours and four minutes, after a twenty-two point tiebreak in the first set that the nineteen-year-old Japanese player deserved to win. Medvedev admitted that conditions in Miami this year are slower than expected, especially compared to Indian Wells.

The key moment came in the third game of the second set, where Medvedev saved four break points and from there shifted gears without looking back. The kind of match that, once the tournament is over, nobody will remember, but in the moment it's played, can decide the trajectory of an entire week.

🇺🇸 Gauff Comes Back Against Parks, Then The Teenager Saturday

Coco Gauff beat Alycia Parks 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 with a comeback that reeks of maturity: after losing the first set by dropping six consecutive games, she won twelve of the next thirteen games, wrapping up in one hour and fifty minutes while saving fourteen break points on serve. Sorana Cirstea awaits in the fourth round.

But the WTA Saturday in Miami had another storyline: the youngsters. Iva Jovic, eighteen years old, demolished Paula Badosa 6-2, 6-1 in just over an hour, with a confidence that left no room for replies. Talia Gibson, from Australia, eliminated Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-4, the fourth top-20 win of her career. The two will face off in the third round, and the generational bond makes the matchup even more compelling.

🎾 The Rest Of Saturday: Zverev Cruises, Halys Surprises Davidovich Fokina

Alexander Zverev dispatched Damm 6-2, 6-4 in his opener, his twentieth win at Miami in his career. Felix Auger-Aliassime beat Fucsovics 7-6(3), 7-5 and will face Atmane, who eliminated compatriot Rinderknech. Quentin Halys knocked out sixteenth seed Davidovich Fokina 7-6(8), 6-4. Corentin Moutet beat Machac 6-0, 1-6, 6-4 in a match that was three different matches. In the WTA, Alexandra Eala confirmed her form by beating Linette 6-3, 7-6, while Mirra Andreeva (7-6, 6-2 over Bouzkova) and Victoria Mboko (6-1, 7-5 over Zakharova) set up a fourth-round showdown. Zheng Qinwen beat Stephens 6-3, 6-2 and Madison Keys handled Ruse 6-0, 6-3.

WHAT'S ON TODAY:

Paolini vs Ostapenko (Butch Buchholz, from 5:00 PM CET) - Third round for Jasmine, against a player who on her day can hurt anyone. She'll need the solidity shown in recent weeks to handle the Latvian's unpredictability.
Alcaraz vs Korda (Stadium, third match from around 6:00 PM CET) - Korda beat Ugo Carabelli 6-0, 6-3 and shouldn't be underestimated, but Alcaraz is the favorite. Five head-to-heads, four wins for the Spaniard.
Opelka vs Fritz (Stadium, second match) - An all-American derby built on serve and attack. Opelka arrives off the demolition of Draper, Fritz from the tighter match against Van de Zandschulp. Whoever serves better goes through.
Sabalenka vs McNally (Stadium, evening session from 1:00 AM CET) - The defending champion continues her title defense. After a somewhat nervous debut against Li, a more relaxed Sabalenka is expected.
Fils vs Tsitsipas (Stadium, to follow) - Tsitsipas arrives off winning 98% of first-serve points against de Minaur. Fils is the thirtieth seed and has the game to trouble him.
Quinn vs Lehecka (Grandstand, from 5:00 PM CET) - Quinn has eliminated Hurkacz and Ruud. If he beats Lehecka too, the week becomes truly special.
Rybakina vs Kostyuk (Grandstand) - WTA third round between two players in excellent form. Rybakina dispatched Putintseva without much trouble.
Zheng vs Keys (Grandstand) - Both cruised through yesterday. An early fourth round, at least in terms of quality.