Sinner and Sabalenka through in Miami, reigning champion Mensik knocked out

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Sinner[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Sabalenka[/a] are bidding to join an elite band of players who have won Indian Wells and the Miami Open back-to-back, and arrived in Florida brimming with confidence after their respective victories in the California desert earlier this month.[/p][p]Sinner, who is chasing a second victory in Miami after lifting the title in 2024, was similarly comfortable in his third-round clash with French 30th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moutet-corentin/bX0EWcV9/"]Corentin Moutet[/a], winning [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/moutet-c-bX0EWcV9/sinner-j-6HdC3z4H/?mid=SAobkzmm"]6-1, 6-4[/a] to advance to the last 16.[/p][p]Sinner will face unseeded American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/michelsen-alex/nDIhfm9l/"]Alex Michelsen[/a] in the last 16. Michelsen defeated Chile's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tabilo-alejandro/YgVnM5vO/"]Alejandro Tabilo[/a] 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 earlier Monday.[/p][embed guid="5bab3ee5-55d9-4780-b7c7-4bce65c47886" url="https://x.com/atptour/status/2036231672350544248?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Women's world number one Sabalenka, defending the Miami title she won for the first time last year, cruised into the quarter-finals with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/sabalenka-a-vyhksgUB/zheng-q-xCyEhjAS/?mid=rmF0aXAE"]6-3, 6-4[/a] win over China's 2024 Olympic champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zheng-qinwen/xCyEhjAS/"]Zheng Qinwen[/a].[/p][p]Sabalenka is aiming to become only the fifth woman to complete the Indian Wells-Miami double after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/graf-steffi/OCjzyKgm/"]Steffi Graf[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clijsters-kim/8liNy3FK/"]Kim Clijsters[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/azarenka-victoria/neAp94aO/"]Victoria Azarenka[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swiatek-iga/jNyZsXZe/"]Iga Swiatek[/a].[/p][p]On Monday's form, few would bet against the big-hitting four-time Grand Slam champion from Belarus, who comfortably disposed of 23rd seed Zheng in 1hr 25min.[/p][p][b]"She's a tough opponent and I'm super happy with the level I played at today,"[/b] Sabalenka said in her on-court interview.[b] "I can definitely say that it felt like home.[/b][/p][p][b]"I feel like I'm getting better, serving better, getting used to these conditions, which are tricky. But I'm getting more and more comfortable with every match," [/b]added Sabalenka, who faces unseeded American Hailey Baptiste in the quarter-finals.[/p][p]Baptiste was one of three American women to advance to the last eight on Monday.[/p][embed guid="49f8a114-5de5-438e-9225-463d60b28a50" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2036215346516934970?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Mensik, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/medvedev-daniil/O8qG0Nhb/"]Medvedev[/a] knocked out[/h2][p]Defending champion Jakub Mensik was bundled out of the Miami Open on Monday, losing a gruelling three-set battle against 19th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tiafoe-frances/AHDLJaph/"]Frances Tiafoe[/a] 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (11).[/p][p]A 2hr 55min third-round slug-fest in searing late afternoon heat was decided by a marathon third-set tiebreak when Czech 20-year-old [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mensik-jakub/UFj257G8/"]Mensik[/a] saved six match points before finally succumbing at the Hard Rock Stadium.[/p][p]US hope [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tiafoe-frances/AHDLJaph/"]Tiafoe[/a], who himself saved two match points in the final tiebreak, sealed victory after converting his seventh match point when a Mensik return of serve drifted wide.[/p][embed guid="decccbf7-196b-4d05-8c8a-340789d85032" url="https://x.com/MiamiOpen/status/2036213605721354316" social-type="twitter" /][p]Tiafoe will face France's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/atmane-terence/6mkEQ279/"]Terence Atmane[/a] in the last 16. Atmane powered into the fourth round with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 upset of Canadian seventh seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/auger-aliassime-felix/CzXh4LAb/"]Felix Auger-Aliassime[/a] on Monday.[/p][p]Auger-Aliassime joined a lengthening list of seeds who have stumbled in the early rounds in Miami that includes Indian Wells runner-up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/medvedev-daniil/O8qG0Nhb/"]Daniil Medvedev[/a], who was shown the door earlier Monday in a 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 loss to Argentina's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cerundolo-francisco/lWQ3G6gB/"]Francisco Cerundolo[/a].[/p][p]Medvedev looked to be heading for a brisk exit after 18th seed Cerundolo raced through the first set in just over 20 minutes.[/p][p]But Medvedev rallied in the second to level the match, and there was little to choose between the two in the deciding set.[/p][p]Cerundolo held to take a 6-5 lead and then scored the decisive break to clinch victory when Medvedev double-faulted on match point.[/p][embed guid="a7e7cd1c-d2f6-4a67-8e7a-1442318f1df9" url="https://x.com/MiamiOpen/status/2036189572942504285" social-type="twitter" /][p]"It was a great match, super tough," Cerundolo said. "It was my first match against Daniil. He's probably one of the only guys on Tour who I have never played.[/p][p]"I didn't know what to expect. He has had a great year so far, so I didn't expect to be up 6-0 in the first set and a break up in the second. He started playing super good. But I kept believing and stayed there in the match."[/p][p]Medvedev's exit followed the departures of world number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alcaraz-garfia-carlos/UkhgIFEq/"]Carlos Alcaraz[/a], Australian fifth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-minaur-alex/EZgZ9Xfh/"]Alex De Minaur[/a] and eighth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shelton-ben/QNuG0Gzb/"]Ben Shelton[/a].[/p][p]Another French player also progressed in the men's draw on Monday, with 31st seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/humbert-ugo/O4ywE5Ah/"]Ugo Humbert[/a] beating Kazakhstan's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shevchenko-alexander/jTIB3FIA/"]Alexander Shevchenko[/a] 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).[/p][h2]Gauff & [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muchova-karolina/Or4Qa1ye/"]Muchova[/a] advance[/h2][p]In the women's draw, American fourth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Coco Gauff[/a] was given a scare by veteran Romanian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cirstea-sorana/fBPsm3Iq/"]Sorana Cirstea[/a] before advancing to the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory.[/p][p]Gauff looked to be progressing smoothly into the last eight after taking the first set and motoring into a 3-1 lead in the second.[/p][p]But Cirstea pounced on a jittery spell from Gauff to reel off five straight games to take the second set 6-3 and force a decider.[/p][p]Gauff regrouped impressively in the third, taking a 3-0 lead before a long break in play as a spectator received medical treatment.[/p][p]When play resumed, Gauff wasted no time wrapping up victory, breaking Cirstea twice more to win in two hours and three minutes.[/p][embed guid="435a36d9-17ee-4656-8e55-a1d73b8f774e" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2036186606969790531" social-type="twitter" /][p]"I think overall I'm most proud of just mentally staying in there," Gauff said.[/p][p]"As the match got longer I was able to raise my level," added Gauff, who will face either sixth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anisimova-amanda/nwkutKbi/"]Amanda Anisimova[/a] or 12th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bencic-belinda/ObGlDvu0/"]Belinda Bencic[/a] in the quarter-finals.[/p][p]Czech 13th seed Karolina Muchova strolled into the quarter-finals with a 6-0, 6-2 rout of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eala-alexandra/ppu9X7PH/"]Alexandra Eala[/a] of the Philippines, advancing in just one hour.[/p][p]Unseeded American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baptiste-hailey/Cjagsdf4/"]Hailey Baptiste[/a] is also into the last eight after dispatching 25th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ostapenko-jelena/Gloq9MUN/"]Jelena Ostapenko[/a] 6-3, 6-4, unleashing 11 aces on her way to victory.[/p]