Kerber advances at Miami Open

Second seeded German Angelique Kerber advanced to the Round of 16 at the Miami Open when Dutch Kiki Bertens retired in their third-round match.

Bertenbs retired amid high temperatures and humidity at the Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, here on Sunday, reports Efe.

Kerber was leading 1-6, 6-2, 3-0 when Bertens, the World No.108, decided to retire after one hour and 23 minutes on the court.

The 24-year-old Bertens did not say why she decided to retire from the match.

Bertens, a qualifier at the Miami Open, beat China's Saisai Zheng in the first round and Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The Dutch player rolled over Kerber, who upset American world No. 1 Serena Williams to win the Australian Open in January, in the first set, needing just 34 minutes to beat the German, who struggled on serve.

Kerber, who was playing Bertens for the first time, made adjustments to her game, cruising in the second set and getting off to a fast start in the third set.

The 28-year-old Kerber, whose best performance in Miami came in 2014, when she made the quarter-finals, will play Hungary's Timea Babos in the Round of 16.

Babos rolled over Japan's Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-0 on Sunday.

In men's action on Sunday, the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych defeated American Steve Johnson in a hard-fought match 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3 to advance to the Round of 16.