The ATP and WTA Madrid Open continues on Friday when a host of star names enter the fray in the Spanish capital in both the men’s and women’s draws.

Two-time men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz, who has not been seen since losing to Grigor Dimitrov in the Miami quarter-finals, returns from injury against Alexander Shevchenko while defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka is in action against Magda Linette.

Madrid Open Tennis Tips

• Jen-Lennard Struff to beat Jaume Munar @ 8/15
• Fabian Marozsan to beat Francisco Cerundolo @ 5/6
• Mirra Andreeva to beat Linda Noskova @ 3/4
• Barbora Krejcikova to beat Jaqueline Cristian @ 1/2

Accumulator returns 6/1

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In-form Struff can see off home hopeful

Only Alcaraz proved too strong for Jan-Lennard Struff in Madrid last season and the 2023 runner-up can begin his attempt to go one better with a victory over Spanish hopeful Jaume Munar.

Struff’s run to last year’s final came as a surprise but the German, who is now approaching veteran status, has enjoyed a solid career and he finally delivered on his potential last week when winning his first ATP Tour title in Munich.

The 33-year-old has had five days to recover after his emotional win over Taylor Fritz and he is likely to have too much for Munar, who has won back-to-back main-draw matches on just two occasions this year.

Marozsan relishing Masters 1000 tests

Fabian Marozsan has reached a career-high 37th in the world rankings thanks to a series of excellent performances in Masters 1000 tournaments and the Hungarian is taken to edge to a victory over Francisco Cerundolo. 

Marozsan is making his Madrid debut this week but he’s relished competing in elite events, reaching at least the fourth round in all four previous appearances at this level – in Rome and Shanghai last year and Indian Wells and Miami this season – and compiling a 14-4 record.

The 24-year-old won two clay Challenger Tour titles last season and he can down Cerundolo, who has not been at his best this year.

Rising star should take down Czech rival

Linda Noskova defeated Mirra Andreeva when they met for the first time in Brisbane at the beginning of the season but fortunes could be reversed on the Madrid clay.

Andreeva, who turns 17 next week, has made a slow start to the year after her breakthrough 2023 campaign but the Russian has looked at her best on this surface, winning back-to-back ITF events on clay last term before a run to the last 16 in this event.

Noskova, on the other hand, has struggled under these conditions and is worth opposing.

French Open winner looks a class apart

Jaqueline Cristian came through qualifying in Madrid before beating Magdalena Frech in her main-draw opener but the Romanian could come up short when she takes on former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova.

Krejcikova has been struggling with injuries this season and this is a tough opener, but she’s a top-class performer at her best, as she demonstrated with a run to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January.

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Odds correct at time of writing

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Source: TalkSport.com Tennis