Madrid Open 2023: Coco Gauff, Maria Sakkari advance; Niemeier upsets Kvitova

MADRID: The No.6 seed Coco Gauff of the USA and No.9 seed Maria Sakkari of Greece kicked off their Madrid Open 2023 campaigns with straight-sets second-round wins over qualifiers,here on Thursday.

Gauff came back from an early breakdown in the first set to oust Spanish qualifier Irene Burillo Escorihuela 6-4, 6-1 at Manolo Santana Stadium. Gauff took 1 hour and 17 minutes to topple the World No. 316 and reach the third round.

Local favourite Burillo Escorihuela, who beat Kaia Kanepi in the first round for her first career win over a Top 100 player, outlasted Gauff in rallies early en route to a 4-2 lead. Gauff got back on serve at 4-4 but fell behind 0-30 for the second straight service game.

However, Gauff found exceptional serves in each of those service games to pull her way out of danger, then broke Burillo Escorihuela for the second time in a row to capture the first set.

Gauff built a 5-0 lead in the second set after notching her ninth straight game, then served out the match at 5-1 to advance. Gauff finished the match with 16 winners, including four aces, to Burillo Escorihuela's 13 winners.

Gauff might have to face another Spaniard in the third round. She awaits the winner of the match between Spanish No.1 Paula Badosa, the No.26 seed, and Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

On the other hand, Sakkari also won her first match of the week, defeating Dutch qualifier Arantxa Rus 6-4, 6-4 in 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Sakkari improved to 5-0 against Rus (10-1 in sets) with her latest victory over the World No.107. Sakkari slammed six aces and saved six of the seven break points she faced in the clash.

The Greek had to fend off three break points in the lengthy final game of the match, but Sakkari converted her second match point to book her spot in the Madrid third round.

Sakkari will now face Spanish wildcard Rebeka Masarova in the third round after 74th-ranked Masarova upset No.20 seed Donna Vekic 6-1, 7-6(5). Another win would put Sakkari into the Madrid Round of 16 for the second straight year.

Jule Niemeier of Germany notched the second Top 10 win of her career after beating three-time champion Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova in the second round. Niemeier saved two set points in the first set en route to scoring a 7-6(9), 6-1 upset of No.10 seed Kvitova.

She will go on to face No.24 seed Belgian Elise Mertens who beat Rebecca Marino of Canada 6-3, 6-1.

Three-time Madrid champion Kvitova was in action for the first time since capturing her 30th WTA Tour title in Miami and competing in the 100th WTA 1000 tournament of her career. The Czech had been forced to withdraw from Stuttgart last week due to a right foot injury and fell to her fourth straight loss in Madrid.

The German’s win over Kvitova was just her fifth in 17 matches this year, and Madrid marked the first time she has won back-to-back matches since October 2022.

The 14th seed Liudmila Samsonova beat Maryna Zanevska 6-2, 6-3, Paula Badosa beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, Magda Linette beat Marketa Vondrousova 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, Jelena Ostapenko beat Linda Fruhvirtova 6-0, 6-3 to reach the next round. Agencies

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