CNN
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Monday was a day to forget for the Americans at the Miami Open, with six US representatives suffering defeat across the men’s and women’s singles.
No. 3 seed Coco Gauff lost to the unseeded Magda Linette 6-4, 6-4, while defending champion Danielle Collins was beaten by the same scoreline by No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka.
There were also straight set defeats for Amanda Anisimova – who went down 6-1, 6-3 to the improving Emma Raducanu – and Ashlyn Krueger, who lost 6-2, 7-6 to Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen.
Gauff hit 12 double faults and had 45 unforced errors during her defeat to Linette, who picks up the fifth win against a top-five player of her career.
“It wasn’t great today,” Gauff said, per the WTA. “It hasn’t been the last few weeks – I’m trying to figure that out.
“Definitely not happy about it. … Just one of those days when I felt awful in everything on the court.”
In what will be only her second career WTA 1000 quarterfinal, the 33-year-old Linette will face No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini.
It was another tough day for Collins against Sabalenka, with the American yet to taste victory across their seven tour meetings. In those seven defeats, Collins has won just three sets.
Collins’ victory in Miami last year was the biggest title of her career, but she was powerless to continue the defense of her crown when faced with Sabalenka’s power and precision.
Sabalenka will face Zheng, another opponent she has never lost to, in the quarterfinals as she attempts to reach the semis in Miami for the first time.
Zheng had to battle hard in the second set to overcome the unseeded Krueger and has now reached back-to-back quarterfinals after a difficult start to the season.
Elsewhere, Raducanu reached the first WTA 1000 quarterfinal of her career, downing No. 17 seed and Qatar Open champion Anisimova in dominant fashion.
This is only the second time in her career that Raducanu has won four straight main draw matches, per the WTA, with the first coming during her stunning 2021 US Open run.
Up next for Raducanu is No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula, the sole winner of the five US women in action on Monday and now the only American woman left in the draw.
Pegula cruised past Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-3 and has now reached the quarterfinals in Miami for the fourth straight year.
USA’s Tiafoe also out
Defeats for No. 16 seed Frances Tiafoe and Reilly Opelka in the men’s draw compounded a miserable day for US players, with No. 12 seed Tommy Paul also losing on Sunday.
No. 3 seed Taylor Fritz defeated Denis Shapovalov 7-5, 6-3 for the sole US men’s victory on Monday.
Fellow Americans Sebastian Korda and Brandon Nakashima had already made it through to the round of 16.
Tiafoe was ousted in a three-set thriller, losing 7-6(11), 5-7, 6-2 to rising Frenchman Arthur Fils who battled through cramps to take the win.
The 20-year-old No. 17 seed has now reached the fourth round of his last three Masters 1000 events and will face the top-seeded Alexander Zverev for a place in the quarterfinals.
“It was very tough. When I got into the third set, I was cramping and I couldn’t find the rhythm anymore,” Fils said, per the ATP.
“My serve was tough and I couldn’t jump, so I tried to relax and play as fast as I could and hit as strong as I could. Somehow, it worked.”
Fritz gave the American fans some much-needed good news with his win over Shapovalov, reaching the fourth round in back-to-back Masters 1000 events.
Fritz will face Australian lucky loser Adam Walton for a place in the quarterfinals, while Nakashima faces Grigor Dimitrov and Korda takes on Gaël Monfils.