MADRID – Top Seedalexander Zverev and Arena Sabalenka scored a comfortable victory in the opening match at the Madrid Open on Friday.
Zverev saved 6-3, 6-4 against qualifiers Anna Brinkova in a 6-2 victory over home Favourtoro Belt Bautista Agutt.
Madrid champion Zverev in 2018 and 2021 needed just 69 minutes to extend his winning streak to six matches. The German player moved to second place in the world after winning the Munich title last week.
“Good game, I knew I had to focus on Roberto,” said Zverev, who improved 24-5 in Madrid. “I knew it would be a tough challenge. This is my favorite centre court in the world and I’ve only lost here twice. I hope it will stay in the next 10 days and continue playing good tennis.”
In the third round, Zverev faces either Nuno Borges or Alejandro Davidevich Fokina.
Sabalenka, who won Madrid in 2021 and 2023 and runner-up to last year’s Iga Swiatek, changed three of his seven break opportunities to beat 76th place Blinkova.
Top-ranked Sabalenka will face No. 28 seed Elise Mertens in the third round.
Anastasia Potapova confused eighth seed Qinwen Zheng, and 15th seed Amanda Anisimova lost 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 to American Payton Stearns. Sixth seed Jasmine Paolini loosened Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-2.
Third seed Jessica Pegura defeated Everlys 6-2, 6-2 to reach the third round. Pegra reached the Madrid final in 2022 and lost to ONS Jabeur.
Pegra, who has 27 wins leading the tour, will then face Kanajima, who defeated Yabul in three sets.
Other actions on the men’s side include US No. 4 Taylor Fritz – who has returned from an abdominal injury that has kept him bystander since Miami – defeated British Christopher O’Connell 6-1, 6-4, and Casper Rood 6-3, 6-4.
“It feels great to be back and have a really solid game,” Fritz said. “The first ball since the loss in Miami was the day before I flew here, so there was nothing for three weeks. I played tennis for the next five days.
fellow American Ben Shelton passed Mariano Navone 4-6, 7-6 (5), and 6-3. Navone, who was 85th, made it to the match 5-4 in the third set.
Juan Manuel Serundo defeated Felix Auger Aliasim in a straight set, but Danil Medvedev advanced after Raslogile retreated due to a shoulder injury.
Gael Monfils, who became the oldest winner in tournament history on Wednesday, withdrew from meeting with defending champion Andrey Rublev due to illness.
Holger, who defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the Barcelona final last weekend, retired due to a thigh injury that led Flavio Koboli to the first set, leading 6-2.