Madrid, Apr 26: Top seeds Alexander Zverev and Aryna Sabalenka scored comfortable victories in their opening matches at the Madrid Open on Friday.
Zverev cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over home favorite Roberto Bautista Agut, while Sabalenka triumphed 6-3, 6-4 against qualifier Anna Blinkova.
Zverev, the Madrid champion in 2018 and 2021, needed only 69 minutes to extend his winning streak to six matches. The German player moved to No. 2 in the world after capturing the Munich title last week.
“A good match, I knew I had to focus against Roberto,” said Zverev, who improved to 24-5 in Madrid. “I knew that it was going to be a tough challenge. This is my favorite center court in the world, I only lost twice here in my entire life. I hope that stays the way throughout the next 10 days and that I can continue playing good tennis.”
In the third round, Zverev faces Nuno Borges or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Sabalenka, winner in Madrid in 2021 and 2023 and last year’s runner-up to Iga Swiatek, converted three of her seven break opportunities to defeat the 76th-ranked Blinkova.
The top-ranked Sabalenka will face No. 28 seed Elise Mertens in the third round.
Anastasia Potapova upset eighth-seeded Qinwen Zheng, while 15th-seed Amanda Anisimova lost 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 to fellow American Peyton Stearns. Sixth-seeded Jasmine Paolini eased past Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-2.
Third-seeded Jessica Pegula reached the third round by defeating Eva Lys 6-2, 6-2. Pegula reached the Madrid final in 2022, losing to Ons Jabeur.
Pegula, who has a tour-leading 27 wins, will next face Moyuka Uchijima, who defeated Jabeur in three sets.
In other action on the men’s side, fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz of the U.S. — who returned from an abdominal injury that kept him sidelined since Miami — routed Christopher O’Connell of Britain 6-1, 6-4, and Casper Ruud beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-3, 6-4.