Saturday saw the start of the second round in the women’s singles at the Mutua Madrid Open with the eight matches in the top half of the draw. With their sights set on the competition’s halfway mark, the players provided some entertaining clashes on the clay of the Spanish capital.
Petra Kvitova progressed to the third round of the Madrid WTA 1000, as expected, after beating Angelique Kerber in two sets (6-4, 7-5). The three-time #MMOPEN champion needed one hour and 22 minutes to ensure her presence at a stage of the competition she has reached in seven of her eleven appearances in the Caja Mágica. The ninth-seeded Czech was a model of perseverance as she came back from a break down to take this match between two left-handed Wimbledon winners.
For her part, Kiki Bertens’ title defence in Madrid, and her attempt to reach her third consecutive final at the event, came to an abrupt end. The seventh seed lost to Veronika Kudermetova in two sets (6-4, 6-3). The Russian player, who this week reached her highest career ranking at No. 28, thus continues her spell of form after winning her first WTA title in Charleston and reaching the semis in Istanbul before arriving at the #MMOPEN.
In form on clay ?
Veronika Kudermetova takes out the defending champion Bertens in straight-sets at the @MutuaMadridOpen. pic.twitter.com/QUsVEobg3o
— wta (@WTA) May 1, 2021
In the previous match, also in the Manolo Santana Stadium, Iga Swiatek progressed. The Polish player saw off the German Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-3 after converting her tenth match point on her opponent’s serve . This win by the fourteenth seed means she will now face world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in a clash between the last two French Open champions.
In the Arantxa Sánchez Stadium, Anastasija Sevastova continued her winning streak with a fourth victory of the week in Madrid, including the qualifiers. The Latvian 2017 #MMOPEN finalist needed just over an hour on court to dispatch fifteenth seed Johanna Konta (6-3, 6-3).
More scores:
A. Barty (AUS) d. T. Zidansek (SVK) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
O. Jabeur (TUN) d. S. Stephens (USA) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
P. Badosa (ESP) d. J. Teichmann (SUI) 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
B. Bencic (SUI) d. B. Pera (USA) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6
