Miami Open: Elena Rybakina ease past Clara Tauson to enter next round

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan pulled off a come-from-behind victory in the second round of the Miami Open on Thursday night, overcoming Danish qualifier Clara Tauson 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Last year’s Miami Open runner-up Rybakina needed 2 hours and 27 minutes to complete the turnaround against 91st-ranked Tauson. Rybakina, who has played the Miami Open four times in a row, has never lost before the third round at the tournament.

“I missed a lot of hours on the court,” said Rybakina, who was unable to defend her Indian Wells title earlier in the month. “Of course now, every match, every hour I get on the court, I just want to do better and better.”

Looking back on her run to the final last year, Rybakina said “every match was a fight, so I expect the same for this week, and just go match by match.”

Rybakina will now take on another qualifier, Taylor Townsend, in the third round, which will be their first meeting. American Townsend picked up an upset win on Thursday when she dispatched No.25 seed Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-2.