© AP
Greet Minnen (WTA 69) was unable to qualify for the second round (1/32nd finals) of the WTA 1,000 tournament in the Spanish capital Madrid on Wednesday (clay/$8,770,480).
Minnen lost in the first round against Japan’s Naomi Osaka, a former world number 1 but who has now fallen to 197th in the WTA rankings, in two sets: 6-4 and 6-1. The match lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes. In the next round, the Russian Liudmila Samsonova (WTA 17), who as the fifteenth seed was free in the first round, awaits Osaka.
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The 26-year-old Osaka won the Australian Open twice and was also the best at the US Open twice. The Japanese celebrated her comeback on the circuit at the beginning of this year. She has struggled with mental problems in recent years and became a mother for the first time. She works with coach Wim Fissette, who is also captain of the Belgian team in the Billie Jean King Cup.
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Minnen was selected for the main draw as a lucky loser, after a defeat in the second (and final) qualifying round against the Colombian Emiliana Arango (WTA 121) in three sets (2-6, 7-6 (10/8) and 6-1 ). In addition to the 26-year-old Kempen native, Yanina Wickmayer (WTA 88) also took part in the qualifications in Madrid. She lost her first qualifying round in two sets (6-1 and 6-4) to the Czech Sara Bejlek (WTA 136).
Mertens opens against Stephens
Elise Mertens (WTA 29) will face Sloane Stephens (WTA 33) in the second round of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Madrid (clay/$8,770,480). The American defeated the Italian Martina Trevisan (WTA 76) in three sets 6-3, 5-7 and 6-4 in her first round on Wednesday. The match, a true war of attrition, lasted 3 hours and 18 minutes.
The 28-year-old from Limburg was the 28th seed free in the first round in the Spanish capital. In the second round she will face Stephens, who won the WTA250 tournament in Rouen, France last weekend. In 2017, the 31-year-old American won the US Open, the following year she reached the final of Roland Garros. Mertens and Stephens each won two of their four previous matches. The Limburg native was the best in their last confrontation earlier this year in Brisbane.
In doubles, Mertens is the first seed in Madrid with the Taiwanese Su-Wei Hsieh. They will meet the American Asia Muhammad and the Indonesian Aldila Sutjiadi in the first doubles round.
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– 2024-04-25 04:08:44
