Tennis News

Popyrin On Nadal Showdown: 'I Don't Mind Being The Underdog'

Alexei Popyrin will have one of the biggest opportunities in his young career on Thursday when he faces top seed Rafael Nadal for the first time at the Mutua Madrid Open. For those who aren’t familiar with the Aussie, he will not be defeated mentally before the match begins.

“I’m not going to go out there thinking I’m going to lose one and one. I’m going to give it my all, put in a fight. I’m going to go out there believing that I can actually play because I believe I do have the level to play with him, even if it is his favourite surface, [even] if he is playing at home,” Popyrin said. “All the cards are in his favour right now, but I don’t mind being the underdog. I have been the underdog for most of my career, so I’m glad to be able to be one [here].”

This year’s Singapore champion doesn’t plan to let the moment get to him, and he won’t be intimidated by the legend across the net. Instead, Popyrin is going to focus on having fun.

“He’s the greatest of all-time on clay courts. I would have preferred to play him maybe on grass or hard courts, but that’s not the chance here,” Popyrin said, cracking a laugh. “I’ve got to play him on his favourite surface and he’s the greatest of all-time on this surface and one of the greatest of all-time [period].

“I’m just going to go out there, have fun, going to  [use] a little bit of tactics, maybe watch a little bit of his 2009 loss against Soderling. Maybe I can get some tips from there. Other than that, I’m just go out there and have fun.”

Popyrin doesn’t just want to watch that memorable Soderling victory from Roland Garros in 2009 because it was a match Nadal lost on clay. The Aussie believes there are similarities between his game and the Swede’s.

“I see big serve, big forehand. I’m not going to watch how Thiem beats him or how anybody else who is not big [plays him]. Maybe Del Potro, but I don’t know if he beat him on clay,” Popyrin said. “That’s a match I can think of from the top of my head that the games are pretty similar, and that’s what I want to watch. Hopefully I can do what he did, but that’s going to be tough.”

The World No. 76 was certainly not handed a spot in the third round. Popyrin earned it with exceptional play in the second round, taking the action to Jannik Sinner, who is one of the biggest hitters on the ATP Tour.

“I think my game is up there with the people who are ranked inside the Top 20. It’s just a matter of time until I figure it out and not give away cheap points when I don’t have to,” Popyrin said. “I think that’s been my main downfall and that’s something I have been trying to work on. When it does come together, I’m not surprised.”

This won’t be Popyrin’s first big challenge against a top player this year. In Miami, he had Daniil Medvedev against the ropes. But despite cramping, the Russian found a way to win 7-6(3), 6-7(7), 6-4 after two hours and 37 minutes.

“I came into the match against him feeling confident I could match his level. That’s what I did, apart from a few sloppy points what I said earlier that I want to get rid of in my game. In important moments, [playing] sloppy points, that’s what cost me the match against him,” Popyrin said. “That’s something that I want to get rid of in my game, and once I do that, I think I’ll be fine.”

Popyrin admitted that when he arrived in Madrid, he didn’t carry much confidence on clay. The 21-year-old had not made it past the second round of the main draw in three previous clay-court events this year. But that hasn’t stopped him from finding his form at the Caja Magica.

“It’s just a matter of getting everything to click together, not to lose that belief. But going into this week, I didn’t have the best confidence, especially playing the first round [of] qualifying,” Popyrin said. “I think that was my hardest match mentally to kind of get the motivation to qualify again and then to play on clay courts. But I think I brought my confidence back now, to be honest. I’m just excited for tomorrow.”

Did You Know?
Popyrin is at a career-high No. 76 and he will climb to a new career-high after his performance this week regardless of whether he defeats Nadal. The Aussie is not defending any ranking points in Madrid or Rome (where he is entered in qualifying), and is only defending 45 points at Roland Garros.

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Nadal On Alcaraz: 'I Really Believe He Is Going To Be A Fantastic Player'

Rafael Nadal only lost three games on Wednesday at the Mutua Madrid Open against Carlos Alcaraz, the 18-year-old who many believe might be the next great Spanish player. Despite the lopsided scoreline, Nadal had many positive things to say about his #NextGenATP countryman.

“When you make a salad and you are putting ingredients inside the salad, he has plenty of ingredients to become a great player,” Nadal said. “That’s the main thing. Then of course, nothing is easy.

“You’re going to have big opponents in front. Nothing is easy in this life. Being one of the best players in the world and fighting for the most important titles is something very difficult, but I really believe that he’s one of the guys [who] can do it.”

Nadal discussed Alcaraz’s aggressive game and how much potential the teenager has.

“He’s a young and good guy,” Nadal said. “He already has a great level of tennis today, but I really believe that he is going to be a fantastic player in the near future.

“I wish him all the very best. [As a] Spanish player and [as a] Spanish fan, I really believe that we need somebody like him, and it’s great to have him here.”

Already World No. 120, Alcaraz is the youngest player in the Top 500 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. Nadal explained how rare it is to see a player that age with the Murcia-native’s skills.

“When somebody at his age is able to do the things that he’s doing, it’s because you have something special. And at the same time, he’s humble enough to keep working. He’s passionate about the game,” Nadal said. “I really believe that he’s a complete player. He’s brave, he’s able to go to the net very often. Great forehand, great backhand. Of course, [he] needs to improve a little bit the serve, but he’s just 18 today, so he has plenty of time.”

Nadal won 63 per cent of his return points on Wednesday. The five-time Madrid champion is always fully focussed on the player in front of him, so he will quickly turn his attention to Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin, who defeated Jannik Sinner in the second round.

“He has a huge serve, great forehand, young, another tough opponent. But here we are in a Masters 1000, so we can’t expect another thing,” Nadal said. “I hope to be ready to play well. That’s what I’m going to need every single day if I want to have chances to keep playing. Tomorrow is another tough battle. I hope to be ready.”

The top seed is happy to be competing at the Caja Magica, where he is enjoying the support from his home fans.

“[I] enjoyed a lot being back [at] this very important place in front of probably the most loyal crowd in the world for me, so I enjoyed playing in front of them,” Nadal said. “Even if it was not a comfortable start against a very young and great player like Carlos, I think I played a solid match and I did what I had to do to be through. [I’m] very happy about the performance today.”

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Popyrin Beats Sinner To Earn Nadal Clash In Madrid

Alexei Popyrin passed a tough test on Wednesday, defeating Miami finalist Jannik Sinner 7-6(5), 6-2 to reach the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open. Now an even tougher challenge awaits: five-time champion Rafael Nadal.

The Aussie advanced to the Round of 16 at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time to earn his first shot at the legendary Spaniard. This will be just his second match against a member of the Big Three — Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer — after losing against Djokovic in Tokyo two years ago. 

For the first 45 minutes of his clash against Sinner, it appeared the 22-year-old would not get that chance. Sinner, who is at a career-high No. 18 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, served for the first set and seemed comfortable in rallies. 

But the Italian made an unforced error to allow Popyrin back on serve, and from there the tone of the match shifted. Although Sinner took the early lead in the first-set tie-break, Popyrin often found himself on the front foot in key moments, using his powerful game to keep the 19-year-old from taking control.

Popyrin, a qualifier in Madrid, will have to do the same against Nadal with a quarter-final spot on the line. The 21-year-old, who lifted his first ATP Tour trophy earlier this year in Singapore, is 1-6 against Top 10 opponents. He advanced past Dominic Thiem in the second round at the 2019 Australian Open.

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Madrid Open: Dan Evans wins, Ashleigh Barty beats Petra Kvitova

British number one Dan Evans continues his good form on clay to reach the Madrid Open last 16 by beating Australia’s John Millman.

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Medvedev Gets His Wish, Off To Winning Start In Madrid

Daniil Medvedev got his wish on Wednesday to win at least one match this week at the Mutua Madrid Open. The second-seeded Russian broke a six-match tour-level losing streak on clay with a hard-fought 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain in two hours and 13 minutes.

“I am happy with the win,” said Medvedev. “The first set wasn’t easy and I thought it was going to be where I had another 25 break points and I wouldn’t win. I finally played quite well and did well in the third set. I think Madrid is a little faster than other clay tournaments, so better for my game.”

Medvedev, who was playing his first match since losing to Roberto Bautista Agut on 31 March at the Miami Open presented by Itau, improved to an 18-3 match record in 2021 and will next challenge Chilean No. 16 seed Cristian Garin, who was a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Dominik Koepfer of Germany.

Following an exchange of breaks midway through the first set, Davidovich Fokina clinched the 53-minute opener when Medvedev struck a backhand long. Medvedev broke to lead 3-1 in the second set, before Davidovich Fokina worked his way back and led 3-3, 40/15. From there, it was all Medvedev, who reduced his error count. The 25-year-old finished their first ATP Head2Head meeting with an ace, his 19th winner, and is now 5-0 in deciding set match this season.

Medvedev finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final and went on to capture his 10th ATP Tour title at the Open 13 in Marseille (d. Herbert) in March. He has a chance to rise to No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings if he captures the Madrid title, reaches at least the Internazionali BNL d’Italia semi-finals and other results go his way.

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Preview: Schwartzman v Karatsev; Medvedev Returns

In second-round Mutua Madrid Open action on Wednesday, seventh seed Diego Schwartzman will have his hands full when he faces Aslan Karatsev.

Karatsev upset the World No. 9 in the third round of the Australian Open in straight sets on his road to the semi-finals. The Russian has since won his biggest ATP Tour title in Dubai and notched an upset over World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Belgrade. He enters the ATP Masters 1000 at a career-high FedEx ATP ranking of World No. 27. 

Schwartzman, a winner in Buenos Aires earlier this season, reached the quarter-finals in Barcelona and took a week off before arriving in Madrid. They’ll be the first match on at 11:00 am inside Stadium 3.

In other early Wednesday action, fifth seed Alexander Zverev will take on Kei Nishikori in a battle between two previous US Open finalists. The two haven’t faced off since 2018, and Nishikori, a former World No. 4, has been coming back from a right elbow injury. He outlasted Karen Khachanov in three sets on Tuesday, improving to 9-8 this season.

Second seed Daniil Medvedev will start play inside Manolo Santana Stadium against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. After testing positive for COVID-19 in Monte-Carlo, this will be Medvedev’s 2021 clay-court debut.

“Coming back was not easy the first four, five days especially after laying ten days in your bed at home,” Medvedev said. “ Of course, looking forward to playing here.”

In other second-round matches, Stefanos Tsitsipas will compete under the lights against Benoit Paire. Paire topped Munich champion Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 7-5 on Tuesday. 

“I feel much better now after the holidays,” Paire said. “Mentally, I’m very fresh, so it will be a tough match, for sure, but I think I have some chances to win this match.”

Wednesday will also see the highly anticipated showdown between top seed Rafael Nadal and 17-year-old Spanish wild card Carlos Alcaraz.

ORDER OF PLAY – WEDNESDAY, MAY 05, 2021

MANOLO SANTANA STADIUM start 11:00 am
A. Davidovich Fokina (ESP) vs [2] D. Medvedev (RUS)
WTA MATCH – [1] Ashleigh Barty (AUS) vs [9] Petra Kvitova (CZE)

Not Before 3:00 pm
[1] R. Nadal (ESP) vs [WC] C. Alcaraz (ESP)

Not Before 7:00 pm

WTA MATCH – [5] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) vs [13] Elise Mertens (BEL)

Not Before 8:00 pm

B. Paire (FRA) vs [4] S. Tsitsipas (GRE)

ARANTXA SANCHEZ STADIUM start 11:00 am

WTA MATCH – [WC] Paula Badosa (ESP) vs [8] Belinda Bencic (SUI)
K. Nishikori (JPN) vs [5] A. Zverev (GER)

WTA MATCH – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) vs TBD
[9] R. Bautista Agut (ESP) vs J. Isner (USA)

C. Ruud (NOR) vs [LL] Y. Nishioka (JPN)

STADIUM 3 start 11:00 am

[7] D. Schwartzman (ARG) vs A. Karatsev (RUS)

J. Millman (AUS) vs D. Evans (GBR)
[Q] A. Popyrin (AUS) vs [14] J. Sinner (ITA)

[1] J. Cabal (COL) / R. Farah (COL) vs R. Bopanna (IND) / D. Shapovalov (CAN)

COURT 4 start 11:00 am 
[16] C. Garin (CHI) vs D. Koepfer (GER)
[3] M. Granollers (ESP) / H. Zeballos (ARG) vs K. Khachanov (RUS) / A. Rublev (RUS)
A. Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs [Q] F. Delbonis (ARG)

TBA [7] W. Koolhof (NED) / L. Kubot (POL) vs M. Demoliner (BRA) / D. Medvedev (RUS)

COURT 6 start 11:00 am

J. Chardy (FRA) / F. Martin (FRA) vs [6] P. Herbert (FRA) / N. Mahut (FRA)

After Suitable Rest – [WC] A. Davidovich Fokina (ESP) / F. Verdasco (ESP) vs T. Fritz (USA) / O. Marach (AUT)

After Suitable Rest – ATP – [5] R. Ram (USA) / J. Salisbury (GBR) vs A. Bublik (KAZ) / C. Garin (CHI)
After Suitable Rest – ATP – T. Puetz (GER) / A. Zverev (GER) vs M. Melo (BRA) / J. Rojer (NED)

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Medvedev's Chase For World No. 1

Daniil Medvedev is making his clay-court season debut at the Mutua Madrid Open. And over the next two weeks, the Russian star will be battling for more than just titles in Madrid and Rome.

With strong efforts at the Caja Magica and the Foro Italico, Medvedev will turn up the heat on Novak Djokovic in the battle for World No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

Medvedev has a chance to ascend to No. 1 by the end of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. If the Russian wins his first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 title in Madrid or Rome and advances to at least the semi-finals at the other tournament, and Djokovic does not make the Rome final, Medvedev will become the first player outside the Big Four to hold World No. 1 since Andy Roddick was there the week of 26 January 2004.

This will be a tough task for Medvedev, who has never won a match in Madrid, Rome or at Roland Garros. But nevertheless it is a big opportunity.

“As soon as you reach No. 2, of course you want to stay [there] as much time as possible. But at the same time the next goal, if you want to improve, is to get to No. 1,” Medvedev said. “It’s not like you need to just go to your house and for one month run around your flat 10 times every day and you’re going to become No. 1. It’s all about playing good, winning big titles, so It’s not a goal that you can achieve logically. You just need to play very good and win huge titles and that’s what I will be trying to do.” 

Medvedev currently sits at World No. 3, having been passed by Rafael Nadal for No. 2 following the Spaniard’s Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell victory. The Russian is 2,263 points behind Djokovic. But that gap is not as wide as it appears. 

Points Dropping In Madrid, Rome & Paris

Medvedev has relatively few points to defend in the coming weeks. The Russian will drop a combined 15 points in Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros compared to 1,600 for Djokovic and 2,090 for Nadal.

Djokovic is not in action this week in Madrid, but he will keep 500 points (50% of the points from his 2019 title) due to the current “best of” FedEx ATP Ranking formula, which has been recalibrated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Serbian is guaranteed to keep at least 500 points in Rome, where he won the title last year. He is still plenty motivated to keep his top spot, which he has held for a record 319 weeks.

“In order to stay at the top ranking spot, you have to keep playing and not just keep playing, but keep making successful runs at most of your events in order to have a chance,” Djokovic said. “Being at No. 1 is also a huge responsibility, but you feel that rear window pressure from Daniil at this point or Rafa or whoever it is. There’s always somebody. The challengers want to get there. They want to challenge you, they want to push you.

“I think the more they push me, the more I have motivation to work even harder to stay there.”

Nadal at a minimum will hold onto 180 points in Madrid (50% of the points from his 2019 semi-final) and 90 points in Rome (50% of his 2020 quarter-final). Since Medvedev has not won a match at those events, he will only drop five points from each (50% from opening-match exits).

Medvedev has not played since Miami because of a positive COVID-19 test ahead of Monte-Carlo. But the Russian has enjoyed success on clay before. In 2019, Medvedev made the Monte-Carlo semi-finals and the Barcelona final. The Russian admits it would feel “amazing” if he’s able to battle his way to World No. 1.

“It’s one of the goals of the career. When you go from the juniors to professionals, you want to get in the Top 1,000, then you want to get in the Top 500 and [those are] small goals. Now I’ve reached almost every place except the No. 1 [spot], so it’s going to definitely mean a lot [if I get there],” Medvedev said. “But I’m sure especially if you ask people [who have been there] that as soon as you reach, it you’re going to start thinking, ‘Okay, how do I stay here? How do I win more titles?'”

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Ferrero & Moya Preview Nadal-Alcaraz Showdown In Madrid

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will play a special match on Wednesday at the Mutua Madrid Open. On the Caja Mágica clay, the most intimidating court in the country, two generations of Spanish tennis will cross paths in what promises to be an unforgettable battle. On Alcaraz’s 18th birthday, the great hope of the next generation will experience a unique moment before the fans inside Manolo Santana Stadium.

Two Spanish former World No. 1s will be watching from the player boxes: Carlos Moyà, the 20-time Grand Slam champion’s coach, and Juan Carlos Ferrero, whose understudy is one of the biggest young talents on the ATP Tour, will oversee the highly anticipated match.

“It’s going to be a special match,” Moya admitted. “It is an encounter between the present, because Rafa is still the present and has been for many years, and the immediate future. I think that Alcaraz is going to be a great player. He’s already very good, although he’s still lacking that experience and he’s in the process of improving. It’s a natural generational succession.”

“To me it’s a generational clash” Ferrero said. “Rafa is very much alive, he’s playing at a very high standard, fighting for Grand Slams. I wouldn’t dare talk about a succession. It’s true that Carlos is the guy coming up the rear, not to replace anyone, but to try and do great things and play great matches. I don’t think any talk of Carlos succeeding Rafa is good for him. It’s added pressure for him. It’s of little use.

“I like to think that we have another very promising player. With his game and the way he handles things from match to match, his head-to-head with players, gives me confidence that he will be very good. But we have to take it step by step.”

How do you approach a match like that? How do you tackle the challenge? What preparations do you make for the difficulties a young man whose hunger knows no bounds may face?

“You go out on full alert,” Ferrero said. “Rafa already knows Carlos because we trained together in Australia. He had the chance to play a set and a half. He knows that Carlos is dangerous, he knows that he has to give it his all.

“Any active player is already familiar with a promising player when they come along, they study them. You know that he’s dangerous, but you also trust yourself. Rafa has the extra experience, which is more than enough to know how to play. Obviously he will think that Carlos is dangerous, but it is just another match for him.”

Moyà witnessed the arrival of the future king firsthand on the clay of Umag in 2003, when Nadal upset him at just 17 years old. Although the Mallorcan points out several differences between the two situations, there is certainly an interesting comparison to be made.

“I wasn’t Rafa in the sense that I didn’t have 20 Grand Slams. I didn’t have his ambition, his quality or his game. And Rafa was even younger than Alcaraz is. There was a significant difference; I knew Rafa well, we’d trained a lot together,” Moya said. “The respect that Alcaraz perhaps has for Rafa, since they haven’t shared many moments together — he hasn’t had contact with him — Rafa didn’t have that respect for me. We shared a lot of things and in that regard, I think that it is lost a little bit, spending time with someone, knowing them so well. But they are special matches for everyone. They are special matches in that there is extra pressure on both of them, and the one that handles it best will take the match.”

The fans have always supported Nadal at the Caja Mágica as if he were family and the Madrid faithful are now ready to show Alcaraz the same affection. It will be an opportunity to enjoy a special moment, the significance of which will only become apparent as the years pass.

“Rafa will not last forever, that’s life, unfortunately,” Moya said. “In a few years, I think Carlos will be one of the players in the fight for Grand Slams. Maybe they will meet in the final of a big tournament. Rafa has been at an extremely high level for many years and Carlos in one or two years may be perfectly ready to fight for those tournaments. But we’re in 2021, and at the moment, Rafa still has that experience and the game that we believe is good enough to fight for any tournament.”

“We know that Rafa is practically invincible on clay, but the biggest challenge will be trying to be stable mentally all the time,” Ferrero said of his pupil. “I think he has to make that his greatest strength tomorrow. We know that Rafa puts everything into every point. That’s what young players find the hardest, being 100 per cent focussed all the time. To him it’s a big motivation doing it here at home. His family is here and they haven’t seen him play for a long time. He’s very excited.”

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Chang: The Hate Against Asian-Americans Has To Stop

In commemoration of Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, American legend Michael Chang penned a poignant essay urging unity and calling for the end of racially motivated hate crimes.

Chang, who was born in Hoboken to parents from Chinese Taipei, also wrote about the way mistrust and misinformation surrounding COVID-19 has fueled the recent wave of violent crime and discrimination against the AAPI community in the US.

It’s a subject that Chang knows all too well, as he recalled being on the receiving end of racially motivated discrimination during a recent outing with his wife Amber Liu Chang.

Chang is best known for his 1989 run to the French Open title at 17 years old, and his International Tennis Hall of Fame career includes 34 tour-level singles titles. The former World No. 2 has also been the long-time coach of Kei Nishikori.

Read this excerpt below from Chang’s essay penned for USTA.com.

These hate crimes are incredibly disturbing to me, an Asian-American born and raised in the United States. My parents are in their late seventies and, just like everyone else in this COVID-19 pandemic, have taken many precautions to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community from contracting the virus. But now, even with vaccinations being made more available and COVID-19 infection numbers falling, they have a new fear and concern: racial hate crime.

I understand that this pandemic has not been easy for anyone. Many of us have lost someone that matters or been sick ourselves. And we have all had to make changes and sacrifices in our lives which we never envisioned in order to do our part to stop the spread of this terrible virus. But unfortunately, some individuals have targeted their frustration and anger, choosing to place blame for this pandemic on my fellow Asian-Americans. I’ve experienced this type of discrimination firsthand. Recently, when walking into my local Walmart with my wife (thankfully without our kids), a man told me to, “Go back to China—you brought the coronavirus here!”

My wife and I were shocked and immediately replied, “Excuse me?” He made another similar comment and walked away. My first thought was, “Wait, I was born and raised in the United States just like you.” But even if I had been born and raised in China, would that make me worthy of harassment? As I have come to realize, ignorance doesn’t always recognize what is true, and the truth often remains unseen—particularly when there is so much misinformation being shared around us.

While I know that people sometimes make comments without thinking or out of ignorance, we are seeing that kind of ignorance taken to another level entirely—that of violence upon completely innocent people—and this is unacceptable. Every day, we all see the disturbing images and video clips of these hate crimes all around the U.S. It HAS to stop because it only results in shattered lives.

Visit USTA.com to read Chang’s full essay.

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Rust For Domi? Thiem Shows None In Madrid

If you thought Dominic Thiem would be rusty in his first match in nearly two months, you thought wrong.

The Austrian star was in full flight on Tuesday evening when he defeated American qualifier Marcos Giron 6-1, 6-3 to reach the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open. The third seed is off to a good start at the Caja Magica, where he made the final in 2017 and 2018.

“I was uncertain how things will be going. The game worked out very well in the past days of practice, but I was always practising on the outside courts which are faster, which are smaller, so I was just not sure how it was going to be in the match,” Thiem said. “But there were some things which I think made [the match] a little bit easier after such a long time, especially the conditions in Madrid, which are great for me.

“Then [I have] amazing memories on this court, where I already played probably some of the best matches of my career. I think that’s why things worked out quite well tonight.”

Thiem had not competed since 16 March, when he lost against Lloyd Harris in his opening match in Dubai. But the 27-year-old looked refreshed in the Spanish capital, playing an aggressive, but tidy match to triumph inside Stadium Manolo Santana after 58 minutes. 

“For my game, I need 100 per cent intensity and 100 per cent energy. I’m not the guy who can serve through a match or who can play with a little bit of intensity and still win. I’m just not that type of guy,” Thiem said. “I need 100 per cent in every aspect of my game.
I was just not able to put that on court in Doha, Dubai, or towards the end of the Australian Open, so that’s why it was better to take a break.

“[It was] better to come back when it’s possible again to play with that 100 per cent in every aspect of my game.”

Giron is a physical baseliner who had already played two matches lasting more than three hours in Madrid this year, defeating Thiago Monteiro in the first round of qualifying and Pablo Andujar in the first round of the main draw on Monday. But the American couldn’t find the energy to match Thiem’s greater physicality. 

The two-time Roland Garros finalist and reigning US Open champion hit bigger than Giron and with more spin, pinning the qualifier deep in the court. Thiem broke the World No. 91’s serve four times and did not face a break point.

In the next round, Thiem will face Australian Alex de Minaur, who led Lloyd Harris 6-2, 3-0 when the South African retired.

De Minaur has only won one of 10 sets he has played against Thiem, who leads their ATP Head2Head series 3-0. Two of those matches came at the US Open, in 2017 and 2020, respectively.

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