MADRID — In an electrifying start to the Madrid Open, top seeds Alexander Zverev and Aryna Sabalenka showcased their prowess with straightforward victories on Friday.
Zverev, the former champion, dominated home crowd favourite Roberto Bautista Agut, clinching a decisive 6-2, 6-2 win. Meanwhile, Sabalenka surged past qualifier Anna Blinkova with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-4.
Taking just 69 minutes to secure his win, Zverev extended his current winning streak to six matches. Following his title in Munich last week, he has now ascended to No. 2 in the world rankings.
“It was a solid match; I knew I had to stay focused against Roberto,” Zverev remarked, improving his Madrid record to an impressive 24-5. “It’s my favorite center court globally, and I’ve only tasted defeat here twice. I aim to keep this momentum going over the next ten days and maintain my high level of play.”
Looking ahead, Zverev is set to face either Nuno Borges or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round.
In women’s action, Sabalenka, the 2021 and 2023 Madrid champion and last year’s finalist, converted three out of seven break points to overcome the 76th-ranked Blinkova.
The world No. 1 Sabalenka is slated to meet No. 28 seed Elise Mertens next.
Upsets marked the day as Anastasia Potapova stunned eighth seed Qinwen Zheng, and 15th seed Amanda Anisimova suffered a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 defeat to compatriot Peyton Stearns. Meanwhile, sixth seed Jasmine Paolini cruised past Katie Boulter with a 6-1, 6-2 score.
On the men’s side, fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz from the U.S. decisively defeated Christopher O’Connell of Britain with a 6-1, 6-4 victory, while Casper Ruud topped Arthur Rinderknech 6-3, 6-4.
Juan Manuel Cerundolo triumphed over Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets, and Daniil Medvedev advanced after Laslo Djere withdrew from the competition.
