Yuki Bhambri sustained his splendid run on the ATP Tour as he beat lucky-loser Mirza Basic of Bosnia and Herzegovina 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the Miami Open on Thursday.
It was the first win for the 25-year-old over Basic.
Bhambri, ranked 107 in the world, broke serve five times against the higher-ranked player. to ensure valuable points.
Bhambri has assured himself of 41 ATP points, including 16 for qualification, apart from $25,465, before his second round match against eighth seed and world No. 11 Jack Sock.
In the women’s section, World No. 1 Simona Halep survived a scare from France’s Oceane Dodin, beating the lucky loser 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to reach the third round.
Halep will meet 30th-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska, who defeated Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck 6-3, 7-6(4).
Halep has amassed enough ranking points that her No.1 standing is not in jeopardy in Miami. She would have maintained top spot even if she had lost on Thursday and World No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki went on to win the tournament.
Angelique Kerber, the 10th seed, cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Swede Johanna Larsson, setting up a third-round showdown with Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Fifth-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova dispatched Russian Ekaterina Makarova 7-5, 7-5 and unseeded German Carina Witthoft upset her 12th-seeded countrywoman Julia Gorges 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-4.
Important results:
Men: First round: Guillermo Garcia-Lopez bt Tennys Sandgren 7-6(3), 7-6(6); Daniil Medvedev bt Stefano Tsitsipas 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Denis Shapovalov bt Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(6); Yuki Bhambri bt Mirza Basic 7-5, 6-3; Denis Istomin bt Miomir Kecmanovic 7-5, 6-4.
Frances Tiafoe bt Nicolas Kicker 6-3, 7-6(4).
Women: Second round: Simona Halep bt Oceane Dodin 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; Karolina Pliskova bt Ekaterina Makarova 7-5, 7-5; Agnieszka Radwanska bt Alison Van Uytvanck 6-3, 7-6(4).
Angelique Kerber bt Johanna Larsson 6-2, 6-2; Zarina Diyas bt Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3; Sloane Stephens bt Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 6-3; Alison Riske bt Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-1; Carina Witthoeft bt Julia Goerges 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-4; Victoria Azarenka bt Madison Keys 7-6(5), 2-0, retd .
