The Madrid Open continues on Saturday as the men’s second round comes to a close and the WTA tournament reaches the third-round stage.
Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner starts his bid for the men’s crown and world no.1 Iga Swiatek is the big name in action in the women’s draw, but all eyes will be on Rafael Nadal in what could be his final match in his nation’s capital.
Nadal, a facile winner over 16-year-old Darwin Blanch in his Madrid opener, is odds-against to triumph over the man who beat him in Barcelona, Alex de Minaur.
Madrid Open Tennis Tips
- Karen Khachanov to beat Roberto Bautista Agut @ 1/2
- Roberto Carballes Baena to beat Alexander Bublik @ 2/5
- Emma Navarro to beat Beatriz Haddad Maia @ 4/6
- Sloane Stephens to beat Maria Sakkari @ 11/10
Accumulator returns 6/1
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Consistent Khachanov looks too solid for veteran
Our Saturday fourfold kicks off with Karen Khachanov, who looks a worthy favourite against Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut.
RBA has been an admirable performer over the last decade but he’s finding life increasingly difficult at the top level, as a world ranking of 86 illustrates.
Khachanov has never quite managed to break into the ATP’s elite but he is in the middle of another ultra-consistent campaign and his run to the Monte Carlo quarter-finals suggests he’s up to winning this one.
Carballes Baena can delight the Madrid crowd
While Nadal and Bautista Agut could struggle, fellow Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena looks to have an obvious chance of sealing a third-round spot when he lines up opposite Alexander Bublik.
While not as decorated as his compatriots, Carballes Baena has had a solid career, claiming two ATP Tour titles on clay in Ecuador (2018) and Morocco (2023), and he also reached the Morocco final again at the beginning of this month.
Bublik boasts a loftier ranking but a career record of 16-27 on clay offers an indication of his struggles on the surface.
Rapid improver poised to seal fourth-round spot
Emma Navarro has enjoyed a rapid rise up the WTA rankings over the last couple of seasons and the American looks a solid bet against out-of-form Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Navarro’s top-level clay experience is limited but she has won Challenger titles on the surface and she reached the final of the Swedish Open in Bastad last season.
A 6-2 6-1 second-round win over former French Open semi-finalist Nadia Podoroska offered a glimpse into Navarro’s ability to handle clay and this looks a good time to play Haddad Maia, who hasn’t won back-to-back WTA matches since February.
Stephens could still have more to give
Sloane Stephens has always been capable of producing brilliant tennis, as she demonstrated when claiming an eighth WTA Tour title in Rouen last week, and the American looks overpriced against Maria Sakkari.
Stephens, who is also a former French Open runner-up, has won nine of her last ten matches following Madrid victories over Martina Trevisan and Elise Mertens, so she should be full of confidence ahead of this meeting with Sakkari, who has never been one to relish a scrap.
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Source: TalkSport.com Tennis
