Novak Djokovic ended his three-match losing streak with a dominant return to the Miami Open, where he is seeking a record-breaking seventh title.
Djokovic, aiming to surpass Andre Agassi for the most Miami Open titles, secured a victory against Australian player Rinky Hijikata. After a competitive second set, Djokovic decisively won in a tie-break.
As the fourth seed, Djokovic easily won the first set 6-0. The second set was more challenging, but he ultimately prevailed, winning the tie-break 7-1.
Djokovic mentioned that his strong performance from the start of the match against Rinky Hijikata helped him settle into his return to Miami for the first time since 2019.
“I was playing really well, at a very high level from the beginning,” Djokovic stated, noting that he has now equaled Rafael Nadal for the most ATP Masters 1000 match wins.
“I knew my tactical approach perfectly. I had played against him in Brisbane earlier this season, so reviewing those matches was beneficial.”
In the upcoming third round, Djokovic will compete against Camilo Ugo Carabelli, a lucky loser who defeated rising American talent Alex Michelsen in a three-set match.
Nick Kyrgios was defeated by Karen Khachanov in their second-round match, 7-6 (7-3), 6-0. However, Kyrgios expressed satisfaction with his performance, considering his recent injury struggles.
Kyrgios, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, has been dealing with knee and wrist issues for the past two years, although he managed to win against Mackenzie McDonald in the previous round.
“We played a great first set, and I`m encouraged that I could complete two matches this week! Plenty to improve on,” Kyrgios shared on X.
Iga Swiatek, the second-seeded player from Poland and the 2022 Miami Open champion, advanced to the third round with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Caroline Garcia.
Swiatek recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the second set and saved a set point before winning the final three games to secure her next match against Elise Mertens of Belgium.
