(Miami) Five days after his triumph in Indian Wells, world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz started his title defense with a bang in Miami on Friday, Caroline Garcia (4^e) and Ons Jabeur (5^e) not having avoided the pitfall of an elimination as soon as they entered the running.

Two games conceded in barely 64 minutes on the court. Suffice to say that the determination of the 19-year-old Spaniard was up to his eagerness to get rid of, without care (6-0, 6-2), the Argentinian Facundo Bagnis (100^e).

“Starting a new tournament is never easy, the conditions are different. I had to be ready. I was really focused on the match from the start and I’m happy with the way I played, “commented Alcaraz, looking for the” Sunshine Double “(double Indian Wells / Miami) since his crushing victory last Sunday. , in the Californian desert at the expense of Daniil Medvedev.

Faced with this opponent, whom he had already beaten for the first time in Umag (Croatia), in 2021, on the road to his very first title on the ATP circuit, the prodigy from Murcia has indeed started off on his feet, winning the first eleven points of the match. Also well helped by the unforced errors of his opponent (12 in this round), he managed three breaks in a row to achieve a “donut”.

Sinner quiet, Rublev upset

At the start of the second set, he again took the service of Bagnis, but he suddenly relaxed on his own, the Argentinian managing to unbreak (2-2). A start having the effect of a short reprieve, since Alcaraz quickly tightened the bolts to align the next four games.

The Spaniard, who will have to keep his title in Miami to stay on the world throne at the end of the tournament, will face in the next round the Serbian Dusan Lajovic (76^e).

Earlier, Jannik Sinner (11^e), who had been beaten in the half in Indian Wells by Alcaraz, also had a quiet start, beating 6-4, 6-2 another Serb, Laslo Djere (58^e).

The 21-year-old Italian accelerated after being broken at 4-3 in the first set, winning the next six games to break away, before finishing in 1:23. He will face Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov (27^e).

Andrey Rublev, he has more difficulty to dismiss 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 the American JJ Wolf (50^e), having to overcome a lot of mistakes made and sometimes on edge nerves. But he ended up pulling himself together, relying on a solid first ball (16 aces). Semi-finalist of the event in 2021, the 25-year-old Russian will face the Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic (35^e).

American Taylor Fritz (10^e) and Canadian Denis Shapovalov (30^e) arranged to meet at 3^e round.

Sabalenka dragging the leg

Among women, three members of the top 10 took the front door.

Caroline Garcia (4^e) fell heavily 6-2, 6-3 to Romania’s Sorana Cirstea (74^e), who had already eliminated her, in the round of 16 at Indian Wells. The Frenchwoman, still playing offensively, committed too many unforced errors to be able to compete.

Ons Jabeur (5^e), who is returning to competition after knee surgery, still seemed very far from the level she was at last year, when she reached the finals of Wimbledon and the United States Open. The Tunisian was swept away 6-2, 6-2 by the Russian Varvara Gracheva (54^e), resulting from the qualifications.

Maria Sakkari, semi-finalist in Indian Wells, also gave in, after a much fiercer battle, lost 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, against Bianca Andreescu (31^e). The 27-year-old Greek also struggled with her serve (six double faults) and her nerves, as she sometimes complained to the referee about the time taken by the Canadian, winner of the United States Open in 2019, to serve.

On the other hand, Aryna Sabalenka (2^e), finalist on Sunday in Indian Wells, held her rank against the American Shelby Rogers, winning 6-4, 6-3, not without having to request a medical time-out to treat a leg.

“We’ll see how it evolves, I hope everything will be fine and that I’ll be ready for the next match” against the Czech Marie Bouzkova (36^e), the winner said in Melbourne in January.