A volcano goes out, an excellent player wakes up.

The spring of 2022 is successful for Kyrgios, who, in the wake of a good run at the Indian Wells Masters where he gave in to Rafael Nadal, shows his best face on the tennis level.

Behavior-wise, the blowout is very never far away - the California ball boy nearly checked it out the hard way when he had to sink the racket the 26-year-old had just smashed in anger after his loss against the Spaniard.

But for the time being in Florida, his serenity is total.

And as against Andrey Rublev (7th), swept away in 53 minutes in the previous round, it was in steamroller mode that he dismissed 6-2, 6-4 the Italian Fabio Fognini (34th), passing this times eight more minutes on the court.

"It wasn't easy today before the game, all social media was expecting fireworks between us. I knew I had to approach it with the right mindset, calm, head down “, explained the Australian.

Excellent in service (10 aces, 77% of first ball), Kyrgios applied himself to shortening the exchanges by making his power speak, against an opponent visibly not in his best shape, since he called the doctor between both sets.

The Italian resisted as best he could until 4-4 in the second set.

Whereupon Kyrgios, whose level of play is the opposite of his 102nd place in the world, won the next eight points to win.

Badosa expeditious

The one who went through a very dark period, with suicidal thoughts, in 2019 and comes out of two difficult years on the tennis level, finally finds a smile.

He will try to keep it in the next round, against another Italian Jannik Sinner (11th) or the Spaniard Pablo Carreno (19th).

Paula Badosa radiant after her victory over Kazakh Yulia Putintseva, March 27, 2022 in Miami Mark Brown Getty / AFP

Other qualifiers of the day, the Norwegian Casper Ruud (8th), who defeated 6-3, 6-2 the Kazakh Alexander Bublik (33rd), and the Briton Cameron Norrie (12th), winner in a more hung match 6-4, 7-5 against Frenchman Hugo Gaston (68th).

On the women's side, the tournament sensation continues to be a teenager named Linda Fruhvirtova.

The Czech, 279th in the world, who had already dismissed the Belgian Elise Mertens in the previous round, this time disgusted Victoria Azarenka (16th).

So much so that the Belarusian, three-time winner of the tournament (2009, 2011, 2016), led 6-2, 3-0 and very frustrated during this match, with cries and racquet throws in support, left the court without waiting the arrival of the physio she had just called, to the amazement of everyone on the Grandstand.

Azarenka seems to be going through a tough time.

In Indian Wells two weeks ago, she inexplicably broke down in tears during her match against Kazakh Elena Rybakina, but ended it with a 6-3, 6-4 loss.

Linda Fruhvirtova serving against Victoria Azarenka in Miami, March 27, 2022 MATTHEW STOCKMAN Getty/AFP

For Fruhvirtova, the adventure continues.

In the next round, she will still have a lot to do, facing one of the favorites of the event, the Spaniard Paula Badosa (6th), expeditious against the Kazakh Yulia Putintseva (6-3, 6-2).

"I don't even know how to describe how I feel. I've always dreamed of playing in such big stadiums and in front of so many people. It's really a dream come true and I'm enjoying it," reacted the young Czech.

© 2022 AFP