Mutua Madrid Open - WTA 1000

[MargaretMcAleer]

Madison Keys withdrew due to illness, replaced by LL Potapova
Clara Tauson withdrew due to shoulder injury replaced by LL Blinkova

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Some of the players are finding it hard to adjust to the new playing conditions with the high altitude,
Vicky Mboko (10) defeated in straight sets by Caty McNally 64 61, Vicky made far too many UFE in the match
Vicky wont lose any points as she didnt play Madrid last year

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Results of matches,
Friday 24th April,

Seeds through,
Noskova (13), Cirstea (25), Ostapenko (21), Rybakina (2), Mertens (19), Samsonova (20), Zheng (32), Gauff (3), Kostyuk (26), Pegula (5)

Seeds that lost,
Bucsa (27), Frech (34), Sakkari (33), Mboko (10)

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Round of 32 matches
Top Half of the draw,
Saturday 25th April,

Seeds in action,
Bencic (11), Shnaider (18), Sabalenka (1), Cristian, (29), Andreeva (9), Swiatek (4), Li (31`), Osaka (14), Jovic (15), Fernandez (24), Paolini (8), Baptiste (30)

 

[britbox]

Day 4 Highlights

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Paolini poor season continues ( not a single QF above 500 level) as she loses in the 3rd round to Hailey Baptiste 75 63.
Paolini defends the title in Rome, she will leave the Top Ten if she dosent go back to back ( even the final wouldnt be enough)
BTW, with this win from Baptiste she goes to #27 in the live rankings. Baptiste likes the clay, made 2nd week at RG, last year, her next opponent is Bencic (11).

Iga Swiatek retires in her match against Li, down 0-3 in the 3rd set, apparently there is a stomach virus going around in Madrid, she didnt feel well yesterday and struggled today, had the trainer out and said she could not go on

 

[125Guy]

This tournament feels like it could get pretty wild!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

OMG, Sabalenka hit a running one handed bhand down the line shot over Cirstian has to be the 'shot of the round' so far
The defending champion d Cirstian 61 64
BTW Sabalenka said that was the 'best shot of her career' seeing Sabalenka has a 2 handed bhand

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Results of matches,
Saturday 25th April,

Seeds through,
Baptiste (30), Li (31), Andreeva (9), Fernandez (24), Bencic (11), Sabalenka (I), Osaka (14)

Seeds that lost,
Paolini (8), Swiatek (4) RET, Jovic (15), Shnaider (18)

 

[britbox]

Day 5 Highlights

 

[125Guy]

I can't wait for Qinwen vs Rybakina tomorrow!!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I can't wait for Qinwen vs Rybakina tomorrow!!

I still think Qinwen needs more matches, Rybakina leads their H2H 3-1
This will be their first meeting on clay, Madrid with high altitude and fast, both suit their games

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Round of 32 Matches
Bottom half of the draw,
Sunday 26th April,

Seeds in Action,
Gauff (3), Cirstea (25), Rybalina (2), Zheng (32), Mertens (19), Pegula (5), Kostyuk (26), Ostapenko (21), Noskova ( 13), Samsonova (20)

 

[kskate2]

This tournament feels like it could get pretty wild!

Welcome @125Guy glad to see you here. Between the altitude, floating virus, and numerous upstarts, it's definitely getting wilder by the minute.

 

[kskate2]

Paolini poor season continues ( not a single QF above 500 level) as she loses in the 3rd round to Hailey Baptiste 75 63.
Paolini defends the title in Rome, she will leave the Top Ten if she dosent go back to back ( even the final wouldnt be enough)
BTW, with this win from Baptiste she goes to #27 in the live rankings. Baptiste likes the clay, made 2nd week at RG, last year, her next opponent is Bencic (11).

Iga Swiatek retires in her match against Li, down 0-3 in the 3rd set, apparently there is a stomach virus going around in Madrid, she didnt feel well yesterday and struggled today, had the trainer out and said she could not go on

I mentioned before it would be this way. Her game is not predicated on power. She needs the right voice in her ear to help her strategically. She may need to completely fall on her face this year to realize that. She'll need to grow up and hire a real coach. Nothing wrong w/ Sara being in her camp, but not as the main honcho.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I mentioned before it would be this way. Her game is not predicated on power. She needs the right voice in her ear to help her strategically. She may need to completely fall on her face this year to realize that. She'll need to grow up and hire a real coach. Nothing wrong w/ Sara being in her camp, but not as the main honcho.

Quite frankly Keli I dont think it is about getting a 'real coach' I feel we have seen 'peak Paolini" Jaz has turned 30 in January, she knows what is needed in her game, and as I have mentioned before I feel she dosent have to play doubles with Sara at every tournament, they were beaten today in the doubles.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Samsonova (20) withdrew with illness and Noskova (13) gets a walkover to the next round

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

According to Jim Courier shrimp tacos in the players canteen having been found to be 'off' thats great isnt it, a few players have had food poisoning also a stomach virus is going around,

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Rybakina handed the break to Zheng with some wayward UFE early in the 1st set
Zheng serve will need to stay high percentage in this match, so far so good.
Tight 1st set Zheng wins 64, cleaner set from Zheng, off the ground Zheng a bit better and Zheng served well

A great down the line fhand from Zheng and she breaks Rybakina in her first service game in the 2nd set, her heavy fhand has been on fire so far in this match and it is using it to her advantage and hitting her spots on the serve very well
Zheng gets broken to love and back on serve early in the 2nd set
Rybakina being a tall woman 6ft, dosent handle the higher balls over shoulder height, Zhang has been putting up higher balls to Rybakina with results
Zheng with UFE and a DF and Rybakina has 2BPs saves 1BP with a good serve, another good serve back to deuce
Zheng with a good tough service game saved BPs and 3 all 2nd set
Back to Back Dfs from Zheng , Rybakina has a SP, again Zheng has a great serve, back to deuce
3rd DF from Zheng again a 2nd SP
Rybakina breaks with a good bhand 64
This match will be going 3
Both players taken toilet breaks

Rybakina with BPs and she breaks Zheng, early in the 3rd set, Zheng with DF didnt help her cause
Zheng not happy with being broken, breaks straight back in the 3rd set
Rybakina breaks again lets see if this time she can consolidate
Rybakina manages to hold and leads 5-2 3rd set
With her 7th Bhand winner Rybalina finds herself at MP
Zheng with a great fhand winner
Rybakina with a hard fought victory but well earned defeats Zheng 46 64 63, Zheng did have her chances, she did put Elena in tough spots on the court, it was her serve at times producing DFs in the 3rd set, good to see Zheng back on court again after her elbow surgery