Google News WTA Madrid: Aryna Sabalenka beats Sorana Cirstea, the Highlights
by LORENZO CIOTTI
At the Mutua Madrid Open 2023, Aryna Sabalenka, Caroline Garcia and Cori Gauff win their first match. The Belarusian beats the Romanian Sorana Cirstea by 6-4 6-3. Aryna dominated the match with her serve, with 72% of first balls on the court.
For her now the challenge with Camila Osorio who overcame Marta Kostyuk 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Garcia defeats Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 6-3 6-4. Gauff wins against the Spanish Irene Burillo Escorihuela 6-4 6-1. Maria Sakkari eliminates the Dutch Arantxa Rus with a score of 6-4 6-4.
Petra Kvitova leaves the scene, defeated by Jule Niemeier 7-6(9) 6-1. Victories also for Jelena Ostapenko, Elise Mertens and Shelby Rogers. Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto eliminated after two hours of battle by Paula Badosa.
Below the highlights of the victory of Aryna Sabalenka against Sorana Cirstea
The men's results
On clay-courts, Dominic Thiem is regaining good physical condition and his game. His journey at the Mutua Madrid Open 2023 starts in the best way: victory in the first round against the British Edmund in straight sets, with the result 6-4, 6-1.
In the second round, Thiem will face another Roland Garros finalist, Stefanos Tsitsipas, in a one-handed backhand match, who received a first-round bye as one of the top seeds in the tournament. For the Greek tennis player, the US Open champion addresses only praise: "I can't wait to do it.
I like him a lot. He's an incredible player, I like watching his matches. He's very elegant. We had some fantastic fights." The two have faced each other eight times and Thiem is in the lead, with five wins and three defeats. On clay, however, the tally is one success each.
Andrea Vavassori will never forget his first victory in a Masters 1000 tournament. To make a success built over the years through hard and arduous work even more special, the value of the rival eliminated with a score of 6-2, 7-6 thought about it ( 7) in the first round of the Mutua Madrid Open.
In fact, the 27-year-old from Turin had to fight against former world number one and three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray. The Scotsman decided only at the last moment to participate in the tournament due to problems encountered on clay.
Sensations that then found a response on the playing field by providing spectators with a not exactly flawless version of Murray, who complained to the team about him after every mistake. Regardless of the opponent's condition, the conditions for falling into the trap of emotions in a match of this magnitude were evident.
Two years after the last time, Marco Cecchinato returns to win a match in a Masters 1000 tournament. The Sicilian got rid of Marton Fucsovics, one of the most solid players on the circuit, with a score of 7-6 (4) , 6-3. In the first part, Cecchinato was good at not being conditioned by the two wasted set points in the tenth game and managing the advantage built at the start of the tie-break with authority.
A tie-break that shut down Fucsovics, who was forced to chase after a bad forehand error in the second set. Cecchinato allowed only one counter break opportunity, in the fourth game, but saved himself with a providential winning serve.
Nothing to do for Lorenzo Sonego. The Italian tennis player lost with a resounding 3-6, 1-6 against the lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff. The German played one of the best matches of the season and often relied on his effective serve.
The Piedmontese, for his part, lost control of the forehand on more than one occasion and gave way to the aggression of his rival.