Alexander Zverevtwo-time champion and a finalist of the Mutua Madrid Open, He reached the round of 16 after beating the Frenchman Terence Atmane by 6-3 and 7-6 in a match without major difficulties, although in the second set he had a break to decide first.
Yes, on the first day of the second phase there were some favorites who said goodbye before their theoretical moment. As Felix Auger-Aliassimewho began to be famous in a junior Davis Cup in the Caja Mágica and was runner-up two years ago, and who fell 7-6 and 6-3 against the young Belgian Alexander Blockx. This will face Fran Cerundolowhich surpassed Luciano Darderi 6-2 and 6-3, so we will have an ‘outsider’ in the men’s quarterfinals. Daniil Medvedev he surpassed another young man: the Norwegian Nicolai Budkov Kjaerby 6-3 and 6-2 and Jakub Mensik surprised -relatively- Karen Khachanov with a 6-4, 7-6.
Aryna Sabalenka has lost two important rivals. The 2025 finalist will not be able to continue aspiring to the title, Coco Gauff. Faced with Linda Noskova, one of the revelations of the year and new product of the inexhaustible Czech youth team, lost 6-4, 1-6, 7-6. He had a 4-1 lead in the third set that he could not enforce. Surprise, but it is true that her rival is number 13 in the WTA. The Canadian Leilah Fernandez, who usually shines on big stages, who won 6-3 and 6-2 against Ann Li.Hayley Baptiste won 6-1, 6-7 and 6-3 Belinda Bencic in a match whose second set had a 30-point tie break and in which the next opponent of Sabalenka He smashed his racket… against his own thigh.
Baptiste breaks his racket against his thigh despite his great victory in Madrid
Already after midnight the big surprise of the women’s team of the tournament was consummated: Anastasia Potapova, 66 WTA and who played like ‘lucky loser‘, since she was eliminated in the first instance in the previous phase, leaving out the second favorite, Elena Rybakina, by 7-6 and 6-4. The number two in the world did not find a way to play with continuity and failed at very inopportune moments, when she gave up 0-40 in the game that would end up being final.
The women’s quarterfinals will face Sabalenka with Baptisteto Fernández with a Mirra Andreeva who, with Conchita Martínez on the bench, beat the Hungarian Bondar 6-7, 6-3 and 7-6; to Kostyuk with Noskova already Pliskova with Potapova.
The male eighths, Sinner with Norrie, Kopriva with Jódar, Etcheverry with Fils, Lehecka with Musetti, Tsitsipas with Ruud, Cerundolo with Blockx, Medvedev with Cobolli and Mensik with Zverev.
