Women's No 1 Aryna Sabalenka held off determined American Ann Li 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to launch her Miami title defense on Friday.
The Belarusian was pleased to get through in straight sets against her 39th-ranked foe in a match moved to the third show court as organisers hustled to get the rain-hit tournament back on schedule.
She needed more than an hour to pocket a first set in which she led 4-1 and wasted seven break points in the eighth game.
"I was there, I was fighting no matter what, even though my game probably wasn't the best one that I have," Sabalenka said.
TRIO INTO THE THIRD ROUND
Third-seeded Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, fourth-seeded American Coco Gauff and sixth-seeded compatriot Amanda Anisimova also reached the third round.
Kazakhstan's Rybakina, who stunned Sabalenka in the final in Melbourne but fell to the world No 1 in the Indian Wells final, beat compatriot Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 6-3.
French Open champion Gauff rallied to beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a match delayed several hours by rain.
Anisimova outlasted Australian veteran Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.
It was Gauff's first match since she retired during her third-round match at Indian Wells with "scary" pain in her left arm.
Gauff said the injury was improving.
"I might feel it sometimes on court, but I definitely feel it less and less every day," said Gauff, who took some time to find her rhythm against the aggressive Cocciaretto.
"She takes the ball so early, you don't have a lot of time to react," Gauff said. "Today, once I got adjusted to the tempo of play I was able to control the rallies when they went the distance."