Novak Djokovic snapped his three-match losing streak as he made an emphatic return to the Miami Open in the chase for a record seventh title.
Djokovic, bidding to move clear of Andre Agassi for the most titles in Miami tournament history, finished strongly against Australia’s Rinky Hijikata, who turned the second set into a battle before being crushed in the tie-break.
Djokovic, the number four seed, took the opening set with ease 6-0 but was taken the distance in the second before triumphing 7-1 in the tie-break.
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Djokovic says his flawless set and a half against Rinky Hijikata helped him settle on his return to Miami for the first time since 2019
“I was playing really well, at a very high level from the beginning,” said Djokovic, who tied Rafael Nadal for the most ATP Masters 1000 match wins.
“I knew exactly what I wanted to do tactically. I played him in the first match of the season in Brisbane. So I think it was good to do some homework, look at those videos.”
In the third round, the Serbian will face lucky loser Camilo Ugo Carabelli, who rallied past fast-rising American Alex Michelsen 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 6-3.
Nick Kyrgios lost his second-round clash with Karen Khachanov 7-6 (7-3) 6-0 but was pleased with his performance given his injury troubles.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist has spent the last two years struggling with knee and wrist problems but was able to beat qualifier Mackenzie McDonald in the previous round.
“We played a great first set but encouraging that I could finish 2 matches this week! Plenty to work on,” Kyrgios said on X.
Polish second seed Iga Swiatek, a Miami Open winner in 2022, booked her place in the third round with a 6-2 7-5 victory over Caroline Garcia.
Swiatek fell 3-1 behind in the second set and later had to save set point, but she won the last three games to book an appointment with Elise Mertens of Belgium in the next round.
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