Rafael Nadal reaches third round, Stefanos Tsitsipas ousted by qualifier Monteiro, Swiatek coasts into last 16

MADRID: Rafael Nadal has not played his last match before his home fans. The 22-time Grand Slam champion beat Alex de Minaur 7-6(6), 6-3 in the second round of the Madrid Open on Saturday, avenging a loss to the Australian less than two weeks ago.

Nadal was cheered on by Spanish King Felipe VI, Zinedine Zidane and a raucous crowd that packed the Caja Magica to see what will most likely be the tennis great’s last tournament in Spain.

The 37-year-old Nadal was playing just his fourth competitive match since his latest injury layoff. Decimated by injuries in recent years, he has said this is most likely his farewell year on the tour.

The 11th-ranked De Minaur beat Nadal 7-5, 6-1 just 11 days before in Barcelona, where the Spaniard returned to the courts for the first time in more than three months. Nadal looked much better this time around.

“I have been through some very difficult months when there were moments when I didn’t see the reason to continue, but I had the dream of experiencing feelings like this again and above all at home,” Nadal said. “It was incredible.”

Next up will he face Pedro Cachin in the third round after the Argentine beat Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-4.

Top-seeded Jannik Sinner downed fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-0, 6-3 in the second round to improve to 5-0 against his countryman. The Australian Open champion had a first-round bye.

Third seed Daniil Medvedev beat Matteo Arnaldi 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, Pavel Kotov beat Jordan Thompson 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, Jiri Lehecka beat Hamad Medjedovic 7-5, 6-4 to reach next round.

Moreover, Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered a surprise second-round exit at the hands of world number 118 Thiago Monteiro in Madrid on Saturday, while Iga Swiatek cruised into the last 16 on a rainy day at the Caja Magica.

Tsitsipas, who arrived in the Spanish capital with only one defeat on clay this term, lost 6-4, 6-4 to the Brazilian qualifier in just over 90 minutes.

The Greek world number seven had a first-round bye and came into the tournament on the back of a third title triumph in Monte Carlo and a runner-up showing in Barcelona in the previous two weeks.

But the left-handed Monteiro looked more comfortable on court, benefitting from having already won three matches this week, through qualifying and the main draw.

Monteiro, 29, landed a stunning 89 per cent of his first serves in throughout the clash with Tsitsipas, who saved three match points in the last two games but yielded on the fourth, to gift his opponent a milestone victory.

Over on Manolo Santana stadium, last year’s finalist Swiatek eased past Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 6-1 to book a fourth-round meeting with home favourite Sara Sorribes Tormo or ex-world number one Victoria Azarenka.

Play started with the roof closed due to wet conditions but that had no effect on Swiatek, who leapt to a 4-0 lead inside 22 minutes.

The top seed got broken while serving for the opening set at 5-0 but that only delayed the inevitable as she struck right back to close out the set on the 40-minute mark.

The second set followed a similar pattern and Swiatek wrapped up the victory with a service winner, losing just two games in the one-hour 17-minute clash.

She will next face Sara Sorribes Tormo on Monday after the Spaniard ousted Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (0), 6-3.

Fifth-seeded Maria Sakkari ended Sloane Stephens' seven-match winning run by 6-1, 6-3.

Ninth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko beat Argentine qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle 6-3, 6-3 while Madison Keys beat Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-3. Agencies

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