Mutua Madrid Open - WTA 1000

[125Guy]

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

Oh yes and today just continued the trend!! To be perfectly honest I have no problems saying this is so far the most entertaining 1000 of the year so far! I mean my gosh I got to see Tereza take on Yulia on clay xD

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Round of 16 matches,
Monday 27th April,

Sabalenka (1) vs Osaka (14)
Gauff (3) vs Noskova (13)
Rybalina (2) vs Potapova
Bencic (11) vs Baptiste (30)
Kostyuk (26) vs McNally
Fernandez (24) vs Li (31)
Pliskova vs Sierra
Andreeva (9) vs Bondar

 

[britbox]

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,

Shrimp Tacos...it makes my stomach turn thinking about them.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Iga Swiatek will rise to No 3 with Coco Gauff's loss in Madrid, Gauff down to No 4, quite frankly I dont think Coco recovered from her stomach illness she was , lucky to win in her previous match

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Back to back QFs for Hailey Baptiste
Her kick serve and fhand are monstrous in these conditions, her movement has improved as well

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Mirra Andreeva reaches her 3rd conseuctive Madrid QF equaling her best result in Madrid
From 5-1 to 6-6 in the 3rd set, this got too close for comfort, but she found a way to regroup
10 wins , 1 loss on the clay in 2026

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Shrimp Tacos...it makes my stomach turn thinking about them.

Baron,
Shrimps in America, would be the equivalent of prawns in Australia? seafood must be 'fresh at all times, a shrimp/prawn taco? I would rather go hungry than eat one quite frankly.

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

Shrimp Tacos...it makes my stomach turn thinking about them.

I'll pass. My sister and I can make better striped bass tacos at home.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Results of Round of 16 matches

Sabalenka (1) d Osaka (14) 67(1) 63 62
Noskova (13) d Gauff (3) 64 16 76(5)
Baptiste (30) d Bencic (11) 61 67(14) 63
Fernandez (24) d Li (31) 63 62
Andreeva (9) d Bondar 67(5) 63 76(5)
Pliskova d Sierra 64 63
Kostyuk (26) d McNally 62 63
Potapova d Rybakina (2) 76(8) 64

Seeds through,
Sabalenka (1), Noskova (13), Baptiste (30), Fernandez (24), Kostyuk (26) Andreeva (9)


Seeds that lost,
Gauff (3), Bencic (11), Li (31).Rybakina (2)

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Rybakina and her slow starts, down 0-2 against Potapova, found her game and broke back and was to serve for the 1st set 5-4 and broken
back on serve 5 all 1st set, Potapova will now serve to force a TB for the 1st set
Potapova held her nerve and won 76( 8) again Rybakina and will a good bhand winner won the TB,will have to take the scenic route again if she wants to make the QFs
A well earned win for Potapova 76(8) 64, Rybakina left her fhand in the locker room, her fhand was going long in this match today

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

QFs Matches,
Top Half of the Draw,
Tuesday 28th April,

Fernandez (24) vs Andreeva (9) H2H 1 all, most recent match October 2023 HC, Fernandez won in 3 sets

Sabalenka (1) vs Baptisite (30) Sabalenka leads their H2H 1-0 this is their first meeting on clay

 

[britbox]

Madrid Highlights - Round of 16

 

[125Guy]

For my money easily the most entertaining 1000 of the year thus far!!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I had computer problems back on line now,

Andreeva defeats Fernandez 76(1) 63
Andreeva makes her first Madrid SF, which feels slightly surprising considering it was her breakthrough event and seems to play well every year in Madrid, Made the QFs last 2 years and gets through to the SFs this time

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Just tuned into Sabalebka v Baptiste, match has just started
Early break for Saba moving Hailey around the court, putting her in a difficult position, Hailey's movement has improved somewhat especially since the beginning of this year. Saba consolidates the break early leads 3-0
I did not know that Hailey's coach is the brother of Amercian ATP player Frances Tiafoe.
Good tough holds from Hailey saving BPs
Saba leads 4-2, Saba has been serving 'lights out; Hailey has to find someway on the return, depth would be a good starter
Hailey has moved back on the return and it has worked and has a BP, Saba was 40 love up btw
Saba finds her 1st serve, Hailey with a strong bhand return, deuce, Saba wide bhand, Hailey BP, Saba brushes away with an Ace
Hailey made Saba earn her service game and again the serve of Saba comes to her rescue
Saba 5-2
Saba breaks and wins the 1st set 62.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Saba DFs and hands Hailey a break in the first game of the 2nd set
Hailey backs up her break and seems to have found her rhythm especially on her serve
Hailey 2-0
Hailey with 2 BPs a great bh down the line and breaks Saba again, looking confident and has adjusted her stance on the baseline, standing a little back, which helps her get a better look at the ball and on the return, she has a heavy fhand helps at night time in these conditions
Hailey 3-0
Hailey 4-0 waiting for a response from the world No 1?
Really great composure from Hailey savings BPs with great accurate serving
Finally Saba breaks with great fighting and a great fhand down the line on the stretch and gets one of the breaks back.
That previous break didnt last long as Hailey breaks and will serve for the 2nd set at 5-2
Well done to Hailey she adjusted changes in her game from the 1st set and has won the 2nd set 62
Going 3

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Saba broke Hailey in first game of the 3rd set but could not consolidate and back on serve early in the 3rd set
2 games all now.
Saba has had trouble reading where Hailey's fhand is going also Hailey is good at redirecting her shots
Good tough hold saving 3 BPs from Saba, Saba 3-2
Saba again looking at 3BPs against her
What a return from Hailey and she breaks Saba and leads 4-3
Could we see the 3 top seeds in Madrid being defeated, RU Gauff 2025 (3) and Rybakina (2) already gone
Saba with 2 BPs and she breaks
4 all
Saba 5-4
Hailey with her 8DF at the wrong time, Saba with 1 MP
Hailey with a great fhand saves MP, back to deuce Hailey bhand long
Hailey BH wide and Saba has her 3rd MP
Hailey serve and volley on MP, no her 9th DF
4th MP for Saba, back to deuce, Saba bh long
5th MP for Saba; bhand winner
Hailey with great feel on the volley and she has saved all 5MPs

Great fight from Hailey and she holds'
5 games all
Hailey with a great bh down the line has a BP
Saba has a bh winner and gets it back to deuce
Great fhand down the line winner from Hailey
Hailey breaks Saba and will serve for the match at 6-5, can she hold her nerve and a place in the SFs
Hailey with her 10DF BP for Saba
Saba breaks and will we have a TB for the 3rd set and the match seems fitting
Saba to serve first

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Saba is 6 and 1 in TB this year
Back to back fhands from Saba with great depth
Saba 4-2
Saba with great hands puts the volley away
Saba over played her fhand, 5 all
Saba arrives at her 6MP
Saba misses bh down the line, great return from Hailey
6 all
Saba is in danger now, her fhand found the net, Saba was in command of this TB and she unravalled
Hailey d Sabalenka 26 62 76( 6) survives 6 MPs and is into her first SF, well done Hailey and ends Saba's 15 match winning streak

Meaing the 3 tops seeds have been defeated in Madrid Saba, Rybakina, Gauff

 

[Tenfan63]

Saba is 6 and 1 in TB this year
Back to back fhands from Saba with great depth
Saba 4-2
Saba with great hands puts the volley away
Saba over played her fhand, 5 all
Saba arrives at her 6MP
Saba misses bh down the line, great return from Hailey
6 all
Saba is in danger now, her fhand found the net, Saba was in command of this TB and she unravalled
Hailey d Sabalenka 26 62 76( 6) survives 5 MPs and is into her first SF, well done Hailey

Meaing the 3 tops seeds have been defeated in Madrid Saba, Rybakina, Gauff

Way to go Hailey!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Way to go Hailey!

Indeed defeating Paolini, Bencic and now the world No 1, deserves to be in the SF