By Tony Fairbairn
- Alexander Zverev [1] v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina [28]
- Elena Rybakina [10] v Elina Svitolina [17]
- Casper Ruud [14] v Sebastian Korda [23]
MADRID, SPAIN – Alexander Zverev will face a severe test of his title credentials when he takes on the in-form Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round of Madrid.
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Alexander Zverev [1] v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina [28] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Alexander Zverev [1] v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina [28] | H2H: Zverev leads 4-1 |
| Madrid 2025 | Madrid, Spain |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €52,925 |
| Second on Manolo Santana Stadium (Not before 12:00 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
After a turbulent last few months, Alexander Zverev has finally found his best form once again. A much needed title in Munich has motivated Zverev as he comfortably dispatched Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets in his opening match in Madrid. The top seed looks confident again but will know not to get complacent with this being a good chance to seal a hat-trick of titles in Madrid. There is no Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz to worry about for Zverev and will be hoping he can build some much needed momentum but the question is whether Zverev can remain mentally strong in the big moments?
Next up for Zverev is the in-form Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Spaniard has been in sensational form having reached the semi-finals in Monte-Carlo where he played flawless tennis. The 28th seed has reached a Masters 1000 final before and knows that when he is on his game that he can beat anybody on clay. However, Davidovich Fokina will now need to show that he can produce that level consistently as he is more than capable of reaching the deeper rounds at the Grand Slams.
Zverev will aim to be aggressive on serve, dictating play on the backhand side from the baseline. Meanwhile Davidovich Fokina will use the forehand to create angles and outmanoeuvre the German. This should be a high-quality affair but the conditions will suit Zverev’s game more and the German should have too much consistent quality for the Spaniard.
Prediction: Zverev in three sets.
Elena Rybakina [10] v Elina Svitolina [17] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Elena Rybakina [10] v Elina Svitolina [17] | H2H: Rybakina leads 3-2 |
| Madrid 2025 | Madrid, Spain |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €52,925 |
| Fourth on Manolo Santana Stadium (Not before 19:00 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
It was a statement win from Elena Rybakina as the Kazakh cruised past Bianca Andreescu in her opening round match. The Kazakh has been in consistent form this season and will aim to re-emphasise that she is a threat on the red dirt. In recent years it has been Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka who have dominated proceedings but now Rybakina will aim to take back control and become a Roland Garros contender over the next few weeks.
Those credentials will be put under severe pressure against Elina Svitolina who has thrived on clay in recent years. Just in case people had forgotten that Svitolina has won Rome on multiple occasions, the 17th seed reminded people of her clay court qualities last week by claiming the title in Rouen. Now Svitolina has bigger goals on her mind as she aims to continue using her consistency and aggression to cause more big wins over this clay court season.
Rybakina will aim to be dominant on serve, using pace and precision to force errors from Svitolina. Meanwhile Svitolina will aim to extend the rallies using the backhand to create angles and force Rybakina into high-risk shots. Rybakina has the type of game to cause Svitolina problems on this faster clay court but the Ukrainian should have enough confidence to get through this test.
Prediction: Svitolina in three sets.
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Casper Ruud [14] v Sebastian Korda [23] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Casper Ruud [14] v Sebastian Korda [23] | H2H: First Meeting |
| Madrid 2025 | Madrid, Spain |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €52,925 |
| Fifth on Manolo Santana Stadium (20:30 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Normally this time of year is when Casper Ruud thrives but this year has been nothing but a struggle for the Norwegian. After failing to defend his Barcelona title and producing an early exit in Monte-Carlo, Ruud is now outside the world’s top ten. The former Roland Garros finalist will be hoping he can find a bit of aggressive quality at some point soon as he will look to avoid falling further down the rankings. Can Ruud revive his clay court season and show he can be a contender for Paris?
Up next for Ruud is talented American Sebastian Korda who will be hoping to gain some form. After a run to the final in Adelaide as well as a quarter-final showing in Miami, it has been tough for Korda to get some consistent form going. The one silver lining will be that Korda is remaining fit and playing on the tour consistently which will please Korda as he looks to save his best tennis for the most crucial parts of the season.
Ruud will aim to use the forehand to dictate the play as he will look to be aggressive and target Korda’s forehand. Meanwhile Korda will aim to be attacking on serve and look to come up to the net as much as possible. This should be a high quality match between two players who desperately need a win but Ruud’s clay court qualities and aggression should win this match.
Prediction: Ruud in three sets.
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