If there are two players everyone had their eyes glued to on Wednesday in the quarter finals of the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro, it was Andy Murray and Caroline Wozniacki. Both of them produced the highest-quality victories on the clay of the Manolo Santana Stadium, dominating their opponents with their PlayStation 4 controllers.
The Scot, 2008 and 2015 champion, could become the first player to win three different versions of the tournament. Having done it on hard court and clay, he could now add the online format to the list. Murray beat Alexander Zverev, another player who knows what it is to lift the trophy in the Caja Mágica. He did so with a convincing 6-1 result to open the day’s play.
In the semi-finals he will face Diego Schwartzman, another of the players who has looked impressive all week. The Argentine, somewhat under the radar, has not lost a single match and he was true to form against Fabio Fognini, whom he beat 6-3.
For his part, Stefanos Tsitsipas produced more reasons to think he might challenge Murray for title. The Greek and the Briton have been staking their claim to the label of favourite with some stunning performances leading up to their arrival in the final four. The world No. 6 and a finalist in last year’s Mutua Madrid Open saw off David Ferrer with a solid 6-2. On the other side of the net in his semi-final clash will stand David Goffin, who served up a bagel to Benoit Paire.
ATP – semi-finals
Andy Murray vs Diego Schwartzman
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs David Goffin
In the women’s competition, Caroline Wozniacki is the player earning the most respect from her opponents. She only needed seven minutes to defeat Johanna Konta 6-0. The Dane has a 4-0 record and after announcing her retirement at this year’s Australian Open, she seems to be back for another title.
However, if she wants to reach the final, the ex-world No. 1 will have to beat Kiki Bertens first. The defending Mutua Madrid Open champion’s game improved throughout her match as she sent Belinda Bencic packing with a break in the ninth game before closing the match out 6-4.
Finally, the two players who have earned themselves the surprise-package label, Sorana Cirstea and Fiona Ferro, will be battling it out for a place in the last round after winning their matches in a tiebreak. The Romanian claimed a dramatic 7-6(4) victory over Bianca Andreescu, while the French player finished in style to fell Donna Vekic 7-6(3).
WTA – semi-finals
Fiona Ferro vs Sorana Cirstea
Caroline Wozniacki vs Kiki Bertens
The semi-finals and final of the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro will take place on Thursday 30 April, when we will be crowning the champions of the new online charity tournament.
