Badosa stays on course
Paula Badosa had already warned that she expected a “very tactical” match against Coco Gauff. With the nerves of her opener at the Mutua Madrid Open against Elisabetta Cocciaretto behind her, the Spaniard was able to put a plan together and execute it well enough to leave her American opponent floundering in a Manolo Santana […]
Lajovic, Unstoppable
Dusan Lajovic rode the crest of a wave into the Mutua Madrid Open and he is yet to fall off it. The Serb sent Felix Auger-Aliassime packing on Saturday (6-2, 3-6, 7-6[5]) for his seventh straight win on tour. The recent champion of the ATP 250 in Banja Luka needed two hours and 34 minutes […]
Sabalenka made to work in victory over stubborn Osorio
Contrasting styles can often make for the most entertaining of tennis duels and Aryna Sabalenka’s narrow third-round victory over Camila Osorio on Saturday was just that. On one side of the net was world No.2 and reigning Australian Open champion Sabalenka, with her booming serves and massive groundstrokes that are particularly lethal in Madrid’s altitude. […]
Medvedev impresses in Madrid opener
It’s no secret that hard-court guru Daniil Medvedev is not the biggest fan of the clay but that didn’t stop him from defeating a player who has won 19 matches on the red dirt this season in his Madrid opener on Saturday. Making his fourth appearance at the Mutua Madrid Open, Medvedev picked up just […]
Zverev wakes up in time in Madrid
There was an epic epilogue to Friday’s play in the Manolo Santana Stadium. Alexander Zverev had a mountain to climb at 6-7, 3-4 with Roberto Carballés serving at 30-0. The German reacted with a comeback in which he strung together eight straight games to close the match out (6-7[6], 7-5, 6-0). The result keeps his […]
The No.1 keeps her foot to the floor in the Caja Mágica
The streak goes on. Iga Swiatek has won all five of her matches on clay so far this year and is now in the third round at the Mutua Madrid Open. The recent champion in Stuttgart was unfaltering in her Friday opener in the Caja Mágica, where she beat Julia Grabher 6-3, 6-2 in just […]
Krejcikova finding her clay footing in Madrid
This time last year, Barbora Krejcikova was in the middle of a three-month hiatus from the tour, nursing an elbow injury, and wondering if she would be able to take to the courts at Roland-Garros for her title defence. She attempted to play in Paris, but lost her opener, and it wasn’t until the end […]
Focused Rublev passes Wawrinka test
By Reem Abulleil Andrey Rublev waited a long time before finally lifting a maiden Masters 1000 trophy in Monte Carlo earlier this month. Now he has one request: Just give him some breathing room before quizzing him on when he plans to win another one! “You guys start to put pressure, ‘How good can you […]
Paula Badosa digs deep
Paula Badosa’s opener at the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday was no walk in the park. But opening with a win will give her a confidence boost and allow her to continue the good form she has shown since the start of the clay swing. The Spaniard needed two and a half hours to see […]
Sakkari tips her hat to Antetokounmpo as she storms into Madrid second round
By Reem Abulleil Maria Sakkari has always been open about the mental challenges tennis players have to deal with on a weekly basis on tour. In a sport like tennis, all players aim for victories but somehow must prepare themselves to lose almost every week, considering there is only one eventual champion in the entire […]