Action got underway on Friday in the Caja Mágica, which is hosting the best show on earth once again this season. The Mutua Madrid Open kicked off with the first round qualifier matches in the women’s competition, as the players bid to reach the final draw of the tournament, where the best players in the world await. By no means an easy task. Only a few will be able to achieve their goal.
Silvia Soler-Espinosa, one of the Spaniards playing in the qualifiers, has already taken her first step towards the final draw after seeing off Magda Linette in three sets (6-4, 2-6, 6-1). The Spanish player came to the tournament on an invite and she came through her match after two hours of play against an opponent who is 79 places higher than her in the WTA ranking. She will now take on the French Oceane Dodin.
For her part, the other Spaniard competing, Paula Badosa, bowed out to Risa Ozaki in three sets. Despite levelling the match after dropping the first set, the Japanese player finished the job in the third (6-3, 2-6, 6-2). Rain made an appearance but the day’s play was completed without issue thanks to the tournament’s three courts with retractable roofs.
Results:
[1] Shelby Rogers beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3, 6-2
Dona Vekic beat [12] Natalia Vikhlyantseva 6-2, 3-0 (ret)
[14] Andrea Petkovic beat Xinyun Han 6-4, 6-1
[3] Johanna Larsson beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-4, 6-4
[11] Jennifer Brady beat Ana Bogdan 7-6(5), 7-6(0)
[4] Qiang Wang beat Varvara Flink 6-0, 6-4
[13] Evgenina Rodina beat Kirsten Flipkens 7-5, 7-5
[5] Oceane Dodin beat Kateryna Bondarenko 7-6(1), 7-5
[W] Silvia Soler Espinosa beat [15] Magda Linette 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
[6] Annet Kontaveit beat Julia Boserup 6-3, 6-2
Mariana Duque Mariño beat [16] Nao Hibino 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
[7] Saisai Zheng beat Asia Muhammad 6-3, 6-4
[9] Risa Ozaki beat Paula Badosa Gibert 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
Ekaterina Alexandrova beat [10] Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2, 7-5
