Carlos Alcaraz played the party pooper for his compatriot Roberto Carballes Baena, who was hoping for a birthday victory. Alcaraz cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win, extending his winning streak to seven matches. Notably, he hasn't lost to a fellow Spaniard in his last 11 matches, with Rafael Nadal being the last to achieve that feat in the 2022 Indian Wells semifinal.
The 20-year-old sensation now awaits the winner between the resurgent Gael Monfils and the determined Jordan Thompson, whom Monfils defeated in a hard-fought battle.
Alcaraz, who clinched his first Masters 1000 crown in Miami, boasts an impressive record of 11 wins and 2 losses at the tournament, indicating his confidence on these courts.
Elsewhere, Italian Jannik Sinner, ranked World No. 3, had to wait overnight to secure his opening win at the Miami Open. However, the wait paid off as he swiftly dispatched his countryman Andrea Vavassori with a 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Sinner, arriving in Miami after a semi-final loss to Alcaraz in Indian Wells, continued his strong form with an 80-minute victory to progress to the third round. His next challenge comes from the Netherlands' Talon Griekspoor, whom he has previously defeated in all their encounters.
In another match, defending champion Daniil Medvedev showed his title defense intent with a commanding 6-4, 6-2 win over Hungary's Marton Fucsovics. Despite the match being moved to the Grandstand court due to rain, Medvedev remained unfazed, showcasing his dominance with an 81% first serve points won.
Medvedev's next opponent is the No. 30 seed Cameron Norrie, who overcame Flavio Cobolli in a hard-fought encounter.
However, not all seeded players had smooth sailing, as No. 10 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered a defeat at the hands of Canada's Denis Shapovalov, marking Tsitsipas's earliest exit from Miami since 2021.
On the brighter side for seeded players, Alexander Zverev, Hubert Hurkacz, and Casper Ruud all advanced to the next round with victories over their respective opponents, underlining their strong presence in the tournament.
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