Jannik Sinner goes ahead at the Mutua Madrid Open. The young Italian prodigy went to the second round of the Madrid tournament after the Argentine Guido Pella retired when Sinner won 6-2, 4-4. The Italian, fourteenth seed for the title, awaits rival of the winner of the match between Alexei Popyrin and German Jan-Lennard Struff.
The big surprise of the morning was starred by the Australian John Millman, who against all odds got rid of the Polish Hubert Hurkacz, twelfth seed for the title and champion of the Miami Masters 1,000, by 5-7, 7-6 (7) and 6-3 ttwo hours and 21 minutes into the game. Millman, who went from low to high and was more solid than the Pole in the decisive phase of the match, will face Briton Daniel Evans in the second round.
Ruud beats Auger-Aliassime in Nadal’s Academy duel
In the duel between two of the training regulars at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor Casper Ruud gave Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, fifteenth seed for the title, no options. Toni Nadal’s pupil could do little against the Norwegian, a great specialist on clay, and who took the game 6-1, 6-4 in an hour and a half of meeting. Ruud will be measured in the second round against the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka, who entered the final table as a ‘lucky loser’ and who beat the Serbian Filip Krajinovic 6-2, 6-4.
The morning shift also left us with the return of Kei Nishikori. The Japanese tennis player wants to go back to being the tennis player who dazzled on clay and showed proof of this with a suffered victory against Russian Karen Khachanov by 6-7 (6), 6-2 and 6-2. Nishikori’s next challenge will be one of the big favorites for the title, German Alexander Zverev.
Rublev survives Paul
Andrey Rublev, sixth seed, had a more complicated debut than he surely expected against American Tommy Paul, which came from eliminating Pedro Martínez in the first round. The Russian needed three sets and more than two hours to win by 6-7 (5), 6-3 and 6-4. Leader of the year in victories (27) did not start well against the number 58 of the ranking that played from you to you especially in the first round to the Russian, who made his debut in the main draw of the tournament and had already won twice before to his rival this Tuesday. Rublev will face John Isner or the winner of the duel between Bautista and Cecchinato in the second round.
Results, table and calendar.