MIAMI -- Saturday’s matinee at the Miami Open delivered a breakout performance from an ascendant American and a smooth path forward for one of the tour’s most consistent players.
Ashlyn Krueger advanced to the Round of 16 with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Leylah Fernandez. She’ll play the winner of the later match between No. 9 seed Zheng Qinwen and qualifier Taylor Townsend.
The 20-year-old American equaled her career-best result in a WTA 1000, going back to Toronto last year. Krueger also notched her seventh Top 30 victory of the year -- one more than she had going into the season. Only Madison Keys, Mirra Andreeva and Iga Swiatek have more.
Krueger’s big strokes were again on display against Fernandez. Her serve was not broken and only McCartney Kessler (84) and Hailey Baptiste (78) have amassed more winners than her total of 69.
And so, to review, Krueger has beaten Renata Zarazua, No. 7 seed and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and now No. 26 seed Fernandez, who was a 2021 US Open finalist.
Are these kinds of victories starting to feel like the new normal?
“Yeah,” Krueger said afterward. “I mean, every match I’m not thinking about who I’m playing exactly -- what they’ve done. The winning is nice and it means that everything I’m putting in off the court is working.”
Of her potential opponents, Krueger said:
“Taylor is a great friend. She does so much, she mixes it up a ton, lefty as well. She’s a very good competitor, Qinwen as well. Big server, great game. Depending on who wins, it’s two completely different opponents.”
Krueger was a double winner Saturday, teaming with Jessica Pegula to come back and defeat Anna Danilina and Irina Khromacheva 2-6, 6-3, 10-7. In advance of her Monday singles match, she and Pegula are scheduled to play again on Sunday.
