The Miami Open tennis tournament resumed play on Thursday after a rain-soaked Wednesday.
It was not a good day for the remaining Americans in contention for the singles titles.
Jessica Pegula, Taylor Fritz, and Christopher Eubanks lost; there will not be an American title holder in singles.
1. Jessica Pegula
Though Jessica Pegula, the top-ranked American at No. 3 in the world, had a winning record against Indian Wells Champion Elena Rybakina, she has not played her lately.
Pegula had a great start and broke Rybakina immediately but suffered from an unsteady serve herself.
She lost the first set tiebreak which unfortunately was delayed by rain when it was tied 2-2.
Rybakina did not play her best tennis but ended up the victor in straight sets in a match that was disrupted by two rain delays.
Pegula exits as a semifinalist in singles for the second straight year but is still alive in doubles with partner Coco Gauff.
2. Taylor Fritz
America’s top-ranked man, Taylor Fritz, took on the hottest player on the tour, 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz.
Fritz had never played Alcaraz before, not even in practice sessions.
He lost his serve early in both sets and struggled to get in the groove because Alcaraz had all the shots working.
Fritz lost in straight sets and hopefully gained valuable intel for the next time he faces Alcaraz.
3. Christopher Eubanks
One of the feel-good stories of the tournament, American Christopher Eubanks, met his match with Daniil Medvedev.
Eubanks, with his quarterfinal appearance in Miami, breaks into the Top 100 for the first time in his career.
He will be ranked 85th in the world when the updated rankings come out on Monday.
That is a significant milestone for many reasons, one of which is that it enables him to enter tournaments without having to play qualifying rounds.
Just a casual @iamjamiefoxx pep talk… @miamiopen rain delays hit different 🤣 @chris_eubanks96 #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/ltRtRT9TBk
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 30, 2023
Eubanks’ friend, actor Jamie Foxx was on hand to cheer him on.
We hope to see a lot more of Eubanks as he becomes part of the main draw in 2023 tournaments.
Conclusion
Rybakina and Alcaraz are both still alive in their quest to capture the Sunshine Double which is back-to-back wins at Indian Wells and Miami in the same calendar year.
There is a lot of tennis yet to be played, but Rybakina is aiming to be the fifth woman to do it (Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka, and Iga Swiatek) and Alcaraz would be the eighth man to do it (Jim Courier, Michael Chang, Pete Sampras, Marcelos Rios, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic).
Tennis Betting Guides 2024
- Tennis Betting Guide – Discover Best Tennis Betting Sites in USA Ranked & Reviewed.
- The Latest Tennis Odds – Compare the Best Tennis Betting Odds.
- Free Tennis Picks – Check Expert Tennis Betting Picks & Predictions.
- Best Offshore Betting Sites – Compare Top Offshore Online Betting Sites.
- Best Bitcoin Betting Sites – Top-rated Bitcoin Sportsbooks in USA Ranked & Reviewed.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
