Pro Media & News

Miami 2024: Martin Damm, Shelby Rogers earn milestone opening wins

Arthur Kapetanakis | March 21, 2024

The first round of the 2024 Miami Open presented by Itau served up milestone wins for a pair of Americans on Wednesday. 

 

The 20-year-old Martin Damm burst onto the ATP Tour scene with a power-packed victory in his tour-level debut, while Shelby Rogers picked up her first win in 11 months, following knee surgery last summer.

 

Other first-round singles winners include Danielle Collins, Sloane Stephens and Alex Michelsen, with the men's opening round to finish on Thursday.

Damm powers to first ATP win

Damm, a former junior world No. 3 who has represented the U.S. at the Junior Davis Cup, made his ATP Tour debut as a Miami wild card and took full advantage with a big-serving victory on home soil. On the strength of 14 aces, he defeated China's Zhang Zhizhen, 7-6(2), 7-6(3), to set up an all-American showdown with 13th seed and Indian Wells semifinalist Tommy Paul.

 

The son of Martin Damm, a Czech former Top 50 player and 2006 US Open men's doubles champion, the world No. 204 is set to break into the Top 200 for the first time thanks to his Miami victory.

 

Michelsen also advanced on Wednesday with a 7-6(5), 6-2 win against Lukas Klein—a result that made the 19-year-old the youngest American men's singles winner in Miami since Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe both advanced at the same age in 2017.

 

This time last season, Michelsen was competing on the USTA Pro Circuit, playing his last two Futures events in Bakersfield and Calabasas.

Martin Damm is set to break into the Top 200 of the ATP Rankings. Photo by Mike Lawrence/ATP Tour.

"It's pretty wild," the world No. 73 said of his trajectory since then, as quoted on ATPTour.com. "I was playing two 25k's, my last two Futures, at this time last year... and now I'm here."

 

Damm and Michelsen are two of 13 American men in the Miami singles draw, the most from any nation. First-round play will conclude on Thursday with Brandon Nakashima (vs. Alejandro Tabilo), Aleksandar Kovacevic (vs. Fabian Marozsan) and Emilo Nava (vs. Roberto Bautista Agut) all in action. Seeded players will being their campaigns in the second round.

Shelby Rogers at a pre-tournament event in Miami. Photo by Jason Koerne/Getty Images for AYS Sports Marketing.
Rogers battles to emotional win

Rogers missed the second half of the 2023 season after undergoing the second knee surgery of her career following Wimbledon. After a defeat to Emma Raducanu at the Australian Open and a retirement in Austin qualifying, the 31-year-old produced a stirring fightback for the first win of her return. 

 

After beating Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, Rogers soaked in the moment before an on-court interview in front of the grandstand crowd.

 

"I'm not getting any younger, so every match I play now is really special," said Rogers, who got married in December. "The rehab is hard, coming back, and all these players are so good—and they're like half my age!

 

"I just love this sport so much and all I wanted to do today was come out and enjoy competing."

Also on Wednesday, Stephens earned a 6-2, 6-3 victory against Angelique Kerber to book her place in the second round, while two all-American matchups went three sets: Collins beat Bernarda Pera, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, and Katie Volynets defeated Sofia Kenin 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

 

Women's main-draw play began on Tuesday, when Taylor Townsend and Peyton Stearns both advanced.

Skip Advertisement

Advertisement

Related Articles