Sabalenka Moves Through By Retirement, Osaka Survives Three-Hour Scare In Miami
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Aryna Sabalenka didn't have to stay on the court too long to reach the fourth round at the 2025 Miami Open. Naomi Osaka, on the other hand, survived a three-set battle.
Sabalenka started her third-round match at the WTA 1000 event in Miami 40 minutes later than Osaka, but the WTA World No. 1 player left the tennis court two hours earlier.
The Belarusian's opponent was Elena-Gabriela Ruse, and since the match started, the Romanian player couldn't keep up with the top seed. Sabalenka was better in every aspect of the game, and from 1-1 and 15-40 down, she completely dominated on the court.
The three-time Grand Slam champion won 19 of the last 25 points in the first set. That meant she easily won the set 6-1 in just 29 minutes of play. The Belarusian player didn't get to complete the second set, as her opponent retired from the match, sending her to the fourth round.
Sabalenka's next opponent will be the winner of the match between defending champion Danielle Collins and Rebeka Masarova. After the match, she was sad about her opponent's retirement.
"I feel so bad for her. I wish her a speedy recovery. She’s such a fighter. I hope she gets well soon. Tough to say anything about this match. Just thank you guys for coming and supporting. I love all those posters and t-shirts."
On the other hand, Sabalenka's fellow two-time Australian Open champion, Naomi Osaka, had to stay on the tennis court for over three hours. The Japanese player took on Hailey Baptiste, and it was a proper fight.
Both players served exceptionally in the opening set, and despite the players breaking each other's serve once, only a tie-break could decide the set. Osaka handled her nerves better, winning the tie-break 8-6, saving a set point in the process.
The Japanese player then started the second set with a break, but despite leading 2-0, she quickly fell behind 2-4. Baptiste was the better player in the second set, winning it 6-3 to force a decider.
The third set of this match was incredibly close. Osaka had the first break point at 2-1, but after she couldn't use it, she faced a break point at 2-2. Baptiste was able to use it to make it 3-2 and later increased her lead to 4-2.
But with more experience, Osaka was able to turn the match around late in the third set. She broke back to make it 4-4 after holding her serve, and after another hold, the 27-year-old player put her opponent under a lot of pressure.
Baptiste couldn't handle that. Osaka broke her opponent's serve one more time to win the match 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4, reaching the fourth round at the 2025 Miami Open.
Osaka spoke about wanting to play the "big dogs" and she will have a chance to do that in her next match. The sixth-seeded Jasmine Paolini will be her opponent, and even though the Italian player is one of the shortest players on the WTA Tour by height, she is certainly a "big dog," as she's ranked seventh in the world.
