Rybakina outlasts qualifier Tauson in Miami second round

No.4 seed 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.

Words from the winner: "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."

Fast facts: On Thursday night, Rybakina picked up her 18th match-win of the year. She is tied with Emma Navarro for second place in match-wins this season; only World No.1 Iga Swiatek has more victories in 2024, with 20.

But 2023 Wimbledon champion Rybakina had to work very hard to hold off former junior No.1 Tauson, who has struggled with injuries in recent years, most specifically in 2022 when back ailments hindered her season.

When the dust settled, it was Rybakina who exited the match with a 2-0 head-to-head lead, having previously beaten Tauson at Bastad in 2019. By holding off the qualifier, Rybakina denied Tauson the first Top 5 win of her career.

Match moments: Big-serving Rybakina is in second place for the year in total aces (trailing only Karolina Pliskova), but that weapon was unhelpful in the opening frame, where Tauson broke serve three times en route to the one-set advantage.

Rybakina took an early lead in the second set, but Tauson continued to excel with her power game. Tauson erased two set points on Rybakina’s serve at 5-4, breaking for 5-5 and edging closer to her career-best victory by ranking.

However, Rybakina used her own booming game to reel off the next eight points consecutively and squeak out the second set. Rybakina cracked a winning overhead to level the match at a set apiece -- her 16th winner of that set.

Tauson refused to yield and was twice a point away from a 3-1 lead in the third set. But Rybakina got out of that jam and reached 2-2, then earned the critical break for a 3-2 lead with a passing winner.

Tauson remained close for the remainder of the clash, but Rybakina never allowed her to get the break back. The 2023 Miami finalist eventually found a forehand winner on her third match point to seal victory.

Next up: 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.

Highlights: Three creative rallies from Townsend's win over Mertens in Miami

"[Townsend is] a tricky opponent, we’ve never played against each other," Rybakina said. "She’s a lefty; some good serves and volleys she can do. As I said, I’ll try my best to recover and prepare for this match."