A SHOULDER injury to world number three, Naomi Osaka threw a curveball into the Shiseido WTA Finals, with Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens taking her spot in the Red Group to ensure play continued. Remarkably, she not only showed that she was a worthy fill-in, but stunned world number one, Ash Barty by defeating her 3-6 6-3 6-4 to hand Barty her first loss of the tournament.
It meant Barty moved to 1-1, alongside Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic who had to use all three sets to knock off Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova, 6-3 1-6 6-4. The one saving grace for Barty is that the only undefeated player prior to that was Osaka, who due to withdrawing, meant Barty still tops the Red Group. The Australian talent will face Kvitova for a guaranteed spot in the semi-finals should she win, while Bencic will take on Bertens, with the winner to take the other semi-final spot.
In today’s action, reigning WTA Finals title holder, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina will hope to make it two from two to start the 2019 edition, taking on Romania’s Simona Halep, while Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova meets Canada’s Bianca Andreescu. The winner of the Svitolina-Halep clash will guarantee herself a spot in the semi-finals.
Rublev reaches Madrid Open final
RUSSIAN Andrey Rublev showed just how quickly one can turn around their form by reaching the final of the 2024 Madrid Open. After having a forgettable run of first-up losses across the last three tournaments and winning just one of his past four matches dating back to Indian Wells, Rublev is now one win away […]
Sabalenka surges home to reach Madrid final
REIGNING Madrid Open WTA 1000 champion Aryna Sabalenka came back from a disappointing first set to run over the top of Elena Rybakina in an epic three-set semi-final match. Sabalenka lost the first set 6-1 and was a break down in the second before finding a way to come back and close out the contest […]
Rublev escapes from Alcaraz to reach Madrid semis
RUSSIAN seventh seed Andrey Rublev has found the key to escape the grasp Carlos Alcaraz has had on the ATP 1000 Madrid Masters, winning in an incredible three-set match overnight. The top 10 talent ended the Spaniard’s hopes of making it three consecutive titles, and also handed the world number three just his second loss […]
Rybakina completes stunning Madrid comeback
KAZAKHSTAN Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina had to fight back from an incredible deficit to overcome her compatriot Yulia Putintseva in a hard-fought three-set match. Rybakina face two match points at 2-5 15-40 down in the deciding set only to come back and hold, on her way to winning five consecutive games and advance to […]
Alcaraz survives Struff scare in Madrid rematch
IN a rematch of last year’s Madrid Open ATP 1000 final, reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz again had German Jan-Lennard Struff‘s number, getting up in an almost three-hour thriller out on Manolo Santana Stadium. The second seed won 6-3 6-7 7-6 in two hours and 52 minutes to advance through to the Masters’ quarter finals. The […]
Rafa rolls into Madrid fourth round
FIVE-TIME Madrid Masters winner Rafael Nadal has reached the fourth round of the 2024 event after seeing off a determined Pedro Cachin in a hard-fought three-setter. Nadal needed three hours and four minutes to defeat the Argentinian, eventually getting up 6-1 6-7 6-3 on Manolo Santana Stadium. It looked easy going for the Spaniard in […]
Mirra image – Andreeva crushes Vondrousova
RUSSIAN teenager Mirra Andreeva has backed up her breakthrough WTA 1000 Madrid Open performance last year with another fourth round appearance in 2024. The talented 16-year-old said after her first round win over American Taylor Townsend that the tournament was her “place of power” and that power ramped up with a third round straight sets […]
Defending champ Sabalenka survives scare
WORLD number two Aryna Sabalenka has survived a massive scare from Poland’s Magda Linette, needing three sets and two hours and nine minutes to shake off the determined world number 48. The Belarusian was gunning for a record-equalling third title in Madrid, but admitted her form was not up to scratch compared to her rivals, […]
Rafa rout – Nadal smashes teen in Madrid mauling
IT MIGHT have only been his third tournament of the year and is 21 years his opponent’s senior, but Rafael Nadal wasted no time storming past 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch in the opening round of the 2024 Madrid Open. The greatest clay courter of all time has had a horrid run with injuries and been […]
