Pale blue Thursday in Miami where Garcia came close to the feat

Jérémy Chardy, the only Habs competing this Thursday among the men, also took the door, defeated by a less well classified than him, Dennis Kudla, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

If the latter can feed some regrets, then what about Garcia, beaten 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 by Halep, returned from the devil-vauvert in their match.

The French, efficient in service, aggressive in exchanges, led 6-1, 3-1, before collapsing.

The Romanian, who had just requested a medical time-out, to relieve her right shoulder, then regained momentum and, avoiding being led 4-1, she played games to her advantage.

In an inverted curve, Garcia started making more faults, as if she had lost pace.

Reinforced impression in the 3rd set one-way for Halep.

In the next round, the latter will face the Latvian Anastasija Sevastova, who knocked down 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 the American Coco Gauff (N.31).

Barty scares himself

For Alizé Cornet, on the other hand, there was no suspense against Kvitova, victorious 6-0, 6-4.

If the Niçoise did not collapse despite the gap in the first set, as against Svetlana Kuznetsova that she knocked down in the first round (2-6, 6-2, 6-1), this time she could not turn the tide.

Her 4th defeat in as many clashes against the Czech, who will face the Briton Johanna Konta in the third round.

In the women's table, it was not only Garcia who almost created the surprise, since Slovakian Kristina Kucova, 149th in the world, obtained a match point against world No.1 Ashleigh Barty.

Led 5-3, 40-30 on opposing service in the 3rd set, the Australian released a superb winning return to erase it, before unbreaking it and eventually turning the tide.

Not without being a little scared on his last service game, since Kucova had three balls to tie at 6-6.

But Barty recovered by planting two of his 15 aces at the best time to win 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in 2:27.

“It was important in this game to persevere and try to figure out how to do it as you go.

I'm just really happy that I never gave up and gave myself a chance to stay in the race, ”commented the defending champion (2019).

A success that can only do her good after a white year 2020, during which she did not want to leave her country to finish the season in the United States and Europe.

She therefore only resumed competition in January this year and notably reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.

Barty, 24, who also defends her first place in the world in Miami, contested by the Japanese Naomi Osaka, will face in the next round the Austrian Jelena Ostapenko, winner at Roland Garros in 2017.

Five Blues in the running

Among men, Jérémy Chardy, yet the author of a good start to the season, quarter-finalist in Rotterdam and then Dubai in recent weeks, seemed tired against Dennis Kudla.

The 49th in the world was more bloody in the first set, managing to break at the best time, while leading 4-3.

But while the 123rd in the world was gaining momentum, he slackened, especially in the 3rd set where he was broken in the 3rd game. He could not reverse the situation, his opponent preserving his service games, and bowed after saving a match point.

Kudla, who won his first Masters 1000 victory since 2016, will face N.26 seeded Pole Hubert Hurkacz in the next round.

There are now five French in the running, all in the men's table, including Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Hugo Gaston, who will respectively face the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (N.11) and the Italian Jannik Sinner (N.21) on Friday , day when the Russian Daniil Medvedev, world No. 2, will debut against the Taiwanese Lu Yen-Hsun.

On Saturday, Benoît Paire will start against the Italian Lorenzo Musetti, Adrian Mannarino against the Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic and Ugo Humbert who does not yet know his opponent.

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