Anticipation is growing in Madrid for the debut of world no. 2 Jannik Sinner in the derby with Lorenzo Sonego, in a Masters 1000 with a lot of Italy on the field. The champion from Sesto Pusteria is the number 1 seed in the tournament, given the absence of Novak Djokovic, and for this reason he will make his debut directly in the second round. The Turin native instead had to start from the first round where he met and overcame the Frenchman Richard Gasquet with good tennis. This is the fifth time that the two Davis teammates face each other on the ATP circuit. For the moment the predictions and partial scores are in favor of Sinner: 4-0 in the matches played so far. But the South Tyrolean champion will not let his guard down with his friend: clay is a terrain on which Sonego, number 52 in the world rankings, has always expressed the best of his repertoire. However, the race of another Italian musketeer, Lorenzo Musetti, has already stopped. Also entering directly into the second round like Sinner, the Italian lost in two sets to the Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild (n.63) with a score of 6-4, 6-4. A missed opportunity for the 22 year old from Carrara who was the favorite due to ranking, surface, class and conditions. However, Seyboth Wild deserved its success. Attacked in the first games by the Italian, once the danger had escaped he began to play his match openly and without any hesitation, while Musetti was never able to make his greater caliber count by accepting the melee with the Brazilian, who he got the better of it. The South American will face Carlos Alcaraz. The Spanish talent put to rest rumors about his poor form and easily beat Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko with a clear 6-2, 6-1.
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Rafa Nadal is also called to the litmus test. The Majorcan will try to take a step forward in regaining his best form and will have the opportunity to rematch the Australian Alex de Minaur, who eliminated him last week in Barcelona. In the meantime, he reached the third round, among others, Taylor Fritz, who got the better of the Italian-Argentine Filippo Darderi. The 22 year old from Villa Gesell, n.60 in the ranking, lost 7-6, 6-4, in an hour and 25 minutes of match, to the American, n.13 ATP, author of an impeccable service performance (he gave up serve only once – in the fourth game of the second set – when he was already ahead by a break). Also on the pitch tomorrow, again for the Azzurri, will be Matteo Arnaldi and Flavio Cobolli. The former defeated Christopher O’Connell 6-4 6-1 and for the third time in his career he will face Daniil Medvedev. The Muscovite beat him two times out of two, in Dubai and in Canada, but they always faced each other on hard ground. Cobolli, who beat the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo (5-7 6-4 6-4), will face his compatriot Nicolas Jarry (n.23). In the women’s field, Jasmine Paolini, n.13 in the ranking, overcame in two sets (6-0, 6-1) the obstacle represented by the very young Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva from Andorra, just 18 years old and former world n.1 at junior when she was just 14 years old. The 28 year old from Castelnuovo di Garfagnana goes to the third round, where she will meet the French Caroline Garcia, n.24 in the ranking. The 30-year-old Transalpine is ahead 5-1 in the direct matches against the Italian. Lucia Bronzetti (n.46) exits in the second round, returning to the tour after almost a month’s break. She lost in two sets 6-4, 6-3 to Kazakh Elena Rybakina, n.4 in the ranking and the most successful tennis player of 2024, fresh from the third title of the season (the eighth of her career) won in Stuttgart.
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