<p>MIAMI — Ash Barty seems to enjoy getting pushed to a deciding set.</p>
<p>The top seed from Australia moved into the quarterfinals of the Miami Open on Monday, holding off 14th-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 in a matchup of past Miami champions — plus one where the current world No. 1 topped the former world No. 1.</p>
<p>It was Barty’s second win of a three-setter so far in this tournament, and she improved to 17-3 in her last 20 matches that have gone the distance. Barty will next face No. 7 seed Aryna Sabalenka or No. 19 seed Marketa Vondrousova, who were scheduled for a fourth-round match later Monday.</p>
<p>It was Barty’s ninth consecutive win at the Miami Open — going back to her 2019 title march as the No. 12 seed.</p>
<p>Barty controlled the first set by breaking in the fourth game to take control and win 6-1. For Azarenka, a three-time Miami champion, turnabout was fair play in the second.</p>
<p>Azarenka broke for a 2-0 second-set lead when Barty pushed a forehand into the net in the ensuing game, prompting the three-time Miami champion to pump a fist and get a smattering of applause from the largely empty grandstand — with coronavirus protocols limiting the crowds at the tournament to a sliver of their usual size.</p>
<p>Azarenka quickly got down 0-40 in her next service game, then escaped and rolled through the rest of the set.</p>
<p>But the third was all Barty, who never got in trouble and finally finished Azarenka off after 1 hour, 52 minutes.</p>
<p>Also Monday, 12th-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada topped 20th-seeded Ugo Humbert of France 6-4, 7-5 in a third-round matchup, and Marin Cilic of Croatia — the 2014 U.S. Open champion — defeated Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4 to move into the men’s fourth round.</p>
<p>Cilic’s best showing in Miami was a trip to the quarterfinals in 2013.</p>
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