MIAMI OPEN 2024: COCO GAUFF CRUISES THROUGH TO ROUND OF 32 AS ARYNA SABALENKA DEFEATS PAULA BADOSA

Coco Gauff looked in ominously good form as she won her opener at the Miami Open on Friday (22 March).

The reigning US Open champion took just an hour and 18 minutes to despatch Argentina’s Nadia Podoroska 6-1 6-2 to reach round three in Florida.

The 20-year-old, who last week became the first American tennis player to accumulate enough points to secure her spot***** at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, now faces France’s Oceane Dodin.

Number two seed Aryna Sabalenka is also through to the last 32 after defeating Paula Badosa 6-3 6-4.

The two-time Australian Open champion took to the court just days after the death of her former longtime partner, ice hockey Olympian Konstantin Koltsov.

Wearing an all-black outfit, Sabalenka fought off a strong challenge from her best friend on the tour who is slowly stepping up her comeback from a long injury absence.

Awaiting the 25-year-old in round three is Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina after she came from a set down to defeat former Miami inalist Caroline Wozniacki.

Rain prevented much more than a couple of hours’ play on Friday with the eagerly-awaited clash between four-time Slam winner Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina held over to Saturday.

The winner of that clash could face Gauff in the last 16.

*****As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes’ participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.