By Tony Fairbairn
- Alexander Zverev [4] v Denis Shapovalov [PR]
- Marketa Vondrousova [7] v Mirra Andreeva
- Taylor Fritz [12] v Sebastian Baez [18]
MADRID, SPAIN – Two-time champion Alexander Zverev will take on a rejuvenated Denis Shapovalov in his bid to reach the fourth round in Madrid.
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Alexander Zverev [4] v Denis Shapovalov [PR] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Alexander Zverev [4] v Denis Shapovalov [PR] | H2H: Zverev leads 5-3 |
| Madrid 2024 | Madrid, Spain |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €51,665 |
| Fifth on Manolo Santana Stadium (20:30 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
After a poor start to the clay court season, Alexander Zverev will be relieved to start his Madrid campaign with a comfortable win over Borna Coric. The German has a good history in the Spanish capital with his big-serving game benefiting from the faster conditions in Madrid. The world number five will hope the trend continues as he bids for a third title in Madrid and an improvement in form ahead of the second Grand Slam of the season at Roland Garros.
Next for Zverev is Denis Shapovalov who has returned from injury this season and found himself outside the world’s top 150. It was a rough start to the Canadian’s comeback and had entered the Masters 1000 event in Madrid with three consecutive losses to his name. However back-to-back wins over Facundo Diaz Acosta and Tomas Martin Etcheverry have seen Shapovalov’s confidence increase as he will be aiming for a return to the world’s top 100 by the time Wimbledon arrives.
Zverev will use his serve in order to rush Shapovalov’s returning qualities as the German will use depth in order to extend the rallies. Meanwhile the Canadian will aim for accurate serving and will use the backhand to create space on the court in order to hit efficient winners. This will be a good match but Zverev’s serve is more reliable at the moment and that should give him the advantage here.
Prediction: Zverev in straight sets.
Marketa Vondrousova [7] v Mirra Andreeva H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Marketa Vondorusova [7] v Mirra Andreeva | H2H: First Meeting |
| Madrid 2024 | Madrid, Spain |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €51,665 |
| Third on Arantxa Sanchez Stadium (13:30 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Since winning her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, Marketa Vondrousova has struggled to replicate her form on the tour as the seventh seed has struggled for consistency. However in the last couple of weeks, Vondrousova has picked up her form having beaten Aryna Sabalenka on her way to the semi-finals in Stuttgart. This could be a crucial momentum swing for the Czech Republican as the former Roland Garros finalist prepares for her first Grand Slam title defence at SW19 in July.
Before thinking about the grass court season, Vondrousova is looking to continue her good run of form on clay against Mirra Andreeva. The 16 year-old broke through at Roland Garros and Wimbledon last year as well as reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open this year. The rise of Andreeva has seen her prove she is capable of big results on all surfaces as she sits at 43 in the world and now looks for more momentum in Madrid.
Vondrousova will look for a mixture of pace and slice to draw errors from Andreeva’s game as the serve will be the key to victory in this match. Meanwhile Andreeva will use the backhand to create space on the court as the use of slice will mix up the tempo of the match. Although Andreeva has the potential to cause an upset, the power and overall game of Vondrousova should be too much for the 16 year-old.
Prediction: Vondrousova in three sets.
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Taylor Fritz [12] v Sebastian Baez [18] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Taylor Fritz [12] v Sebastian Baez [18] | H2H: Fritz leads 4-0 |
| Madrid 2024 | Madrid, Spain |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €51,665 |
| Fourth on Stadium Three (14:30 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
There was a much-needed improvement from Taylor Fritz last week in Munich with the American having a tough last couple of months. The American’s big serving mixed with a solid baseline game has seen him achieve par for the course so far this season. However Fritz will be hoping that his form doesn’t turn stale as he sets his sights on big results in the second half of the season.
A tough opponent awaits next in the form of Argentinian Sebastian Baez. The 18th seed had been hopeful of some big results having won the biggest title of his career in February by claiming the ATP 500 event in Rio De Janeiro. However Baez entered Madrid having lost four consecutive matches and will now be aiming to find some much needed confidence ahead of Roland Garros.
Fritz will aim to use the altitude to his advantage as he looks to serve accurately and efficiently to neutralize Baez’s returning ability. Meanwhile the Argentinian will aim to use angles and pace to force Fritz to play shorter balls for Baez to be aggressive from. This is the perfect time for Baez to play a vulnerable Fritz and although conditions suit the American’s game, it wouldn’t be a surprise if an upset occurred here.
Prediction: Baez in three sets.
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