Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans among seeds to fall

PARIS (BBC): Britain’s top ranked duo Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans have been knocked out of the Miami Open in the second round. British number one Norrie, ranked 12th in the world, suffered a 6-3 6-2 defeat by France’s world number 65 Gregoire Barrere. Evans, seeded 23 and ranked 30 places higher than Lorenzo Sonego, was beaten 6-4 3-6 2-6 by the Italian.

They were among a number of seeds who went out of the tournament on Saturday in both the men’s and women’s draws.

Alex de Minaur and Matteo Berrettini exited, but the biggest casualty was women’s sixth seed Coco Gauff, who lost to Russian Anastasia Potapova.

Australian De Minaur, the 15th seed, suffered an agonising 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (10-8) defeat by Quentin Halys, the world number 79 from France.

Italian Berrettini, seeded 19, had a similar close encounter, losing 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-5) to American Mackenzie McDonald.

Italian Lorenzo Musetti was the third of the men’s top 20 seeds to fall as he was beaten 6-4 6-4 by in-form Czech Jiri Lehecka.

Norrie’s opponent Barrere will face Christopher Eubanks in the third round after the American qualifier, ranked 119th in the world, recorded the biggest win of his career by knocking out Croatian Borna Coric, seeded 17, 3-6 6-4 6-2.

In the women’s singles, Belarussian Victoria Azarenka, seeded 14, was beaten 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-4 by Poland’s Magda Linette.

Meanwhile, fourth seed Daniil Medvedev, who lost last week’s Indian Wells final to Carlos Alcaraz, cruised past Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1 6-2. Poland’s eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz saved five match points before beating Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-7 (12-10) 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (8-6) in a match lasting three-and-a-half hours, while 12th seed Frances Tiafoe came from a set down to beat Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki 6-7 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.

Canadian fifth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime progressed with victory over Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro on two tie-breaks, while women’s third seed Jessica Pegula swept aside fellow American Danielle Collins 6-1 7-6 (7-0).