Casper Ruud recovered from a slow start in his opening match at the BMW Open by American Express Thursday, edging Slovakian Alex Molcan 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals in Munich.

The Norwegian struggled to find his range in the first set as Molcan forced Ruud into errors with his brutal ball-striking and accuracy. However, the second seed started to hit with greater consistency and depth as the match went on to advance after two hours and 17 minutes in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

“It was a very tough test. I didn’t get off to a great start,” Ruud said. “But I was able to fight back and find my rhythm and luckily I was able to do it a little bit towards the end of the first set, which I still lost, but it gave me some confidence for the second set.

“I started the second set well, I broke him right away. The third set was really close and even but I was able to get the break. It gives me confidence I am able to win matches like these.”

Ruud, who reached the semi-finals in Munich last year, is the highest seed left in the draw following top seed Alexander Zverev’s shock exit against #NextGenATP Dane Holger Rune on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old will be aiming to bounce back from his disappointing Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters quarter-final defeat to Pablo Carreno Busta and win his second tour-level title of the season at the ATP 250 event, after triumphing in Buenos Aires in February.

With his victory, the World No. 7 has improved to 8-2 on clay in 2022 and will next play Botic van de Zandschulp in his fourth quarter-final of the year.

“It will be another tough challenge,” Ruud said. “I lost to him at the US Open last year. That was the tournament he made a name for himself and started playing really well. I need to be prepared for a tough match.”

The Dutchman swept aside qualifier Egor Gerasimov 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the last eight at a tour-level event for the third time in 2022.

Van de Zandschulp, currently at a career-high No. 40 in the ATP Rankings, won 86 per cent (24/28) of his first-serve points and saved the one break point he faced to seal victory after 69 minutes.

If there is anyone you can learn about clay-court tennis from, it is Rafael Nadal. Ahead of the Mutua Madrid Open, WTA star Naomi Osaka said she has been trying to implement something the Spaniard does into her own game.

“I think I stole one of the things that he did and I’ve been practising it recently,” Osaka said, without going into specifics. “It’ll either go really good or really bad. There’s like no in between. But I think as I’ve been doing it, it’s been going pretty well. 

“Honestly I’ve been wanting to watch the really good clay-court players practise because I feel like I’m the type of person that learns really fast if I see it up close, and honestly it’s a bit of a waste to have all these really good professional tennis players and not watch them. I’ve kind of wanted to see [Carlos] Alcaraz, so it’d be cool to watch everyone practise.”

The search for improvement is nothing new for Osaka. In Miami, the 24-year-old mentioned she had recently studied Nick Kyrgios’ serve in Los Angeles. 

 

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The former World No. 1 is happy to try to learn from others, but don’t expect to see her hitting reverse forehands with a follow-through quite like Nadal’s at the Caja Magica.

“[Can you] Imagine? I’ve actually been warming up kind of left-handed but I don’t think that’s a skill that’s going to show itself anytime soon,” Osaka said. “It’s just like for technical reasons. If I hit left-handed forehands, it’s easier to hit a backhand if that makes sense. 

“I know that every kid growing up playing tennis in the world has pretended to be Nadal at least once.” 

Third seeds Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies were made to dig deep at the BMW Open by American Express in Munich on Wednesday, but the German duo came good to clinch a 6-4, 6-7(8), 10-6 win over Hans Hach Verdugo and Philipp Oswald.

On a day when singles favourite Alexander Zverev was upset by Holger Rune at the ATP 250 event, Krawietz and Mies gave the home fans something to cheer about as the third seeds recovered from the disappointment of losing a second set tie-break to book a second-round meeting with Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara.

Krawietz and Mies won their first tour-level title since Roland Garros in 2020 at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Sunday, and they will seek to extend their good form by bettering their quarter-final run from their only previous appearance in Munich in 2019. Krawietz is defending the title he won in 2021 with Wesley Koolhof at the ATP 250 event, with Mies missing most of last year due to knee surgery.

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A busy day of doubles action in Bavaria also saw Andrey Golubev and Fabrice Martin upset top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic with a 6-4, 7-5 victory, leaving 2021 year-end No. 1 doubles team Mektic and Pavic still hunting a first title in 2022. Golubev and Martin will next face Ivan Sabanov and Matej Sabanov, after the 2021 Belgrade champions eased past Julio Peralta and Franko Skugor, 6-3, 6-2.

Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop also got their Munich campaign off to a solid start, with the fourth seeds running out 6-1, 6-4 winners over German wild cards Philipp Kohlschreiber and Max Hans Rehberg.

Murray/Venus Survive Scare In Estoril
At the Millennium Estoril Open, top seeds Jamie Murray and Michael Venus looked to have lost their momentum after Robin Haase and Lukasz Kubot broke twice to storm to the second set in their first-round match. The top-seeded British-New Zealand pairing bounced back in style, however, clinching the Match Tie-break after surging to an unassailable 5-0 lead as they completed a 7-5, 2-6, 10-5 win.

Portuguese wild cards Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral channelled home support to pull off a 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 upset of third seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek, while Aleksandr Nedovyesov and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi also enjoyed Match Tie-break success in a 6-2, 3-6, 10-4 win over Tomislav Brkic and Nikola Cacic.

The second clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event of the season will see the world’s best players compete at the Mutua Madrid Open, with World No.1 Novak Djokovic, Monte Carlo tiltist Stefanos Tsitsipas and Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in action.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the tournament in the Spanish capital:

When is the Mutua Madrid Open?

The 2022 Mutua Madrid Open will be held from 1-8 May. The clay-court ATP Masters 1000 tournament, established in 2002, will take place at the Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain. The tournament director is Feliciano Lopez.

Who is playing at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open?

The Mutua Madrid Open will feature Top 10 stars Djokovic, Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, who is the reigning champion.

When is the draw for the Mutua Madrid Open?

The Monte-Carlo draw will be made on Friday 29 April at 6:30 p.m.

What is the schedule for the Mutua Madrid Open 1000 event?

* Qualifying: Saturday, 30 April – Sunday, 1 May at 11:00 a.m.
* Main Draw: Sunday, 1 May at 12:30 p.m. Monday, 2 May – Thursday, 5 May at 12:00 p.m., Friday, 6 May – Saturday, 7 May at 2:00 p.m., Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Sunday, 8 May at 3:30 p.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 8 May at 6:30 p.m.
*View On Official Website

What is the prize money and points for the Mutua Madrid Open?

The prize money for the Mutua Madrid Open is €6,744,165 and the Total Financial Commitment is €7,499,290.

SINGLES
Winner: €1,041,570 / 1,000 points
Finalist: €568,790 / 600 points
Semi-finalist: €311,025/ 360 points
Quarter-finalist: €169,650 / 180 points
Round of 16: €90,745 / 90 points
Round of 32: €48,655 / 45 points
Round of 64: €26,960 / 10 points

DOUBLES ($ per team)
Winner: €319,570 / 1,000 points
Finalist: €173,600/ 600 points
Semi-finalist: €95,350 / 360 points
Quarter-finalist: €52,610 / 180 points
Round of 16: €28,930 / 90 points
Round of 32: €15,780 / 0 points

How can I watch the Mutua Madrid Open?

Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule

How can I follow the Mutua Madrid Open?

Hashtag: #MMOPEN
Facebook: @mutuamadridopen
Twitter: @MutuaMadridOpen
Instagram: #MMOPEN

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Who won the last edition of the Mutua Madrid Open in 2021?

Alexander Zverev won the 2021 Mutua Madrid Open singles title with a 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-3 victory against Matteo Berrettini in the championship match (Read & Watch). Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos lifted the doubles trophy in Madrid with a 1-6, 6-3, 10-8 triumph against Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the final (Read More).

Who holds the Madrid record for most titles, oldest champion, youngest champion and more?

Most Titles, Singles: Rafael Nadal (5)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Daniel Nestor (5)
Oldest Champion: Andre Agassi, 32, in 2002
Youngest Champion: Rafael Nadal, 19, in 2005
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2003, Roger Federer in 2006, Rafael Nadal in 2014, Novak Djokovic in 2016, 2019
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 25 David Nalbandian in 2007
Last Home Champion: Rafael Nadal in 2017
Most Match Wins: Rafael Nadal (52)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Key Storylines

Record-Holder Rafa: Nadal has won a record five Madrid titles over the years, but his last triumph came back in 2017. The 35-year-old has not competed since American Taylor Fritz ended his perfect start to the season in Indian Wells in March. The World No. 4 will be seeking his fourth title of a standout season at the clay-court event.

Djokovic Finding Form: Three-time Madrid champ Novak Djokovic will compete in his fourth tournament of the season when he takes to court at the Masters 1000 event. The Serb, who lifted the trophy in the Spanish capital in his last appearance in 2019, played his way into form on home soil at the Serbia Open last week, earning hard-fought three-set wins over Laslo Djere, Miomir Kecmanovic and Karen Khachanov to reach his first final of the season.

Tsitsipas Aiming For Title No. 2: Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas will be aiming to win his second clay-court ATP Masters 1000 trophy of the season in Madrid, having successfully retained his Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters crown in April. The World No. 5 will be making his fourth appearance in the Spanish capital, with his best result a run to the final in 2019.

Red-Hot Alcaraz: The 18-year-old Alcaraz has broken new ground in 2022, becoming the youngest Miami men’s champion in the event’s 37-year history and the first teen to break into the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings since Andy Murray in 2007. The Spaniard will be looking to add a third title of the year to his CV on home soil in Madrid, after also clinching the trophy in Rio de Janeiro in February.

Reigning Champ Zverev: The 25-year-old has produced some of his best tennis in Madrid over the years, lifting the trophy in 2018 and 2021. The German, who defeated Matteo Berrettini in the championship match last year, is a five-time Masters 1000 champ and two-time Nitto ATP Finals victor, but he is still searching for his maiden trophy this year.

Ruud, Felix & Rublev Looking To Go Deep: The Top 10 members have all enjoyed strong starts to the 2022 season, winning four ATP Tour titles between them. Ruud, who triumphed in Buenos Aires, reached the semi-finals in Madrid last year, while Rotterdam champ Auger-Aliassime has never been beyond the second round in two previous appearances. Rublev, who lifted trophies in Marseille and Dubai in February and in Belgrade last week, enjoyed a run to the last eight in 2021.

Did You Know?
In 2009, the tournament switched to clay courts and moved to May after being play on indoor-hard in October from 2002-2008.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina made a successful return on Wednesday in his first match since reaching the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, clawing past fellow Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-3, 7-6(5) to reach the quarter-finals of the Millennium Estoril Open.

Davidovich Fokina made a dream run in Monte Carlo, where he stunned World No. 1 Novak Djokovic en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 final. Although he wasn’t quite as sharp in Portugal, his confidence showed in a one-hour, 57-minute victory.

“Bernabe is a tough player. He played flat balls and on clay it’s tough to play against him. In the second set he had chances to win the set and I was just there to focus on every point just to create some pressure [for] him,” Davidovich Fokina said. “I’m happy for the win.”

Zapata Miralles, who had already won three matches at the event, including two in qualifying, made his countryman work hard and held a 5/3 lead in the second-set tie-break. But Davidovich Fokina, whose trademark drop shot was not as precise as usual throughout the match, remained calm and was the more consistent player in the big moments.

The fourth seed earned seven service breaks and will next play fifth seed Frances Tiafoe or Portuguese wild card Nuno Borges. If Davidovich Fokina wins, he will move into his third semi-final in Estoril in his third appearance at the ATP 250.

Holger Rune has impressed so far in his young career on the ATP Tour, but the 18-year-old took things to another level on Wednesday in Munich.

The #NextGenATP Dane produced a high-class all-court performance against top seed Alexander Zverev at the BMW Open by American Express, breaking the big-serving German four times on his way to a stunning 6-3, 6-2 victory at the ATP 250 event.

“It was a difficult match from the beginning,” said Rune in his on-court interview. “He’s in the top three in the world and has been playing some unbelievable tennis, especially in the past year winning so many big titles. I have a lot of respect for him, and I obviously didn’t expect to win in two sets, and with a score like this. But it was a really hard match, we played a lot of rallies and I’m really happy about my performance today.”

Rune has shown glimpses of his talent in 2022, winning his opening match in four of his past five tour-level events before arriving in Munich. He had yet to win consecutive ATP Tour matches this year, however he changed that in style in Germany by completing straight-sets wins over Jiri Lehecka and top-seeded Zverev.

“I love this tournament,” added Rune. “It’s a bit at altitude, it’s similar conditions to Denmark, so I’m really happy to be here.”

The win over the German is the biggest of Rune’s career and his first over a Top 10 opponent at the fourth attempt. Prior to Wednesday’s loss, home favourite Zverev had not failed to reach the quarter-finals in Munich in his past five appearances, a streak that included lifting back-to-back trophies in the Bavarian city in 2017 and 2018.

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Rune was dialled in from the start at the Iphitos Tennis Club, surging to a 4-2 lead in the opening set as he measured a series of drop shots from deep to perfection, pulling his opponent around the court. Although Zverev found his feet after a slow start, Rune fended off two break points before converting his sixth set point in a marathon ninth game to take the set.

An early break in the second set piled the pressure on Zverev and Rune appeared unaffected by the prospect of taking out the top seed. The Dane continued to draw Zverev forward to great effect with his drop shot and struck the ball cleanly off both wings from deep as the German struggled to find his rythym, with Rune breaking again before serving out for a one-hour, 40-minute victory.

“I enjoyed it,” said Rune as he addressed the crowd. “Obviously it was tough, especially the first set when we played lots of long rallies. It was really exhausting but I tried to give the audience a great match because Zverev is an unbelievable player, so thank you very much for the support.”

Rune’s success was based on his ability to counter his opponent’s serve, one of the most feared on the ATP Tour. The Dane won 47 per cent (17/36) of return points against the Zverev first delivery in the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Rune’s next opponent will be Emil Ruusuvuori, after the unseeded Finn defeated Maxime Cressy, 6-3, 6-3. World No. 63 Ruusuvuori broke the American four times in a 76-minute victory to reach a first tour-level quarter-final since his run to the championship match in Pune in February.

Miomir Kecmanovic earlier made it to a sixth consecutive ATP Tour quarter-final with a 6-2, 6-4 win over home favourite Daniel Altmaier. Kecmanovic’s strong form has included runs to the last eight at the ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami, and the Serb held his nerve in a topsy-turvy second set featuring five breaks of serve to record his 21st win of the season against the No. 67-ranked German.

Kecmanovic’s next opponent will be a player who is unbeaten on the Munich clay, defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili. The World No. 20 has struggled for form in 2022 and was taken the distance by Ilya Ivashka on Wednesday, but the Georgian claimed a crucial break in the opening game of the deciding set that was enough to set up the win and extend his winning record at the event to 6-0.

The first-round action was also completed on Wednesday, with Alejandro Tabilo prevailing in an all-Chilean battle with 2019 champion Cristian Garin. Tabilo’s 6-3, 6-4 victory gives him a 2-1 ATP Head2Head lead over his countryman, with the World No. 91 also prevailing in the pair’s previous meeting at their home tournament in Santiago in February.

Eighth seed Botic van de Zandschulp booked his second-round spot with a 7-6(3), 6-3 win over #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima. Both players were making their debut in Munich, but it was World No. 40 Van de Zandschulp who prevailed in a hard-fought 94-minute clash. He next faces qualifier Egor Gerasimov, who beat Australian John Millman, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

The tennis world is mourning the loss of Kristijan Schneider, former coach of Croatian Borna Coric, who has passed away aged 41.

“Rest in peace my friend and my coach. I was blessed to have you in my life,” wrote former World No. 12 Coric in tribute to his countryman on Twitter.

Schneider, also known as “Kiki”, had been battling abdominal cancer. Those involved in a fundraising effort to support his treatment included Italian World No. 197 Thomas Fabbiano and Gilles Cervara, coach of World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev.

Another Croatian, WTA star Ana Konjuh, paid tribute to Schneider on Instagram. “I’m lost for words. Until we meet again, save me a hug up there. Rest in peace Kiki,” wrote the 24-year-old. Schneider also had a stint working on the WTA Tour as coach of Serbian Olga Danilovic.

ATP World No. 29 Frances Tiafoe added his own tribute in response to Konjuh’s post. “Had nothing but love and respect for you Kiki,” wrote the American. “Thankful for our friendship.”

Rest in peace my friend and my coach.
I was blessed to have you in my life ❤️ pic.twitter.com/e2gi9tSFYs

— borna coric (@borna_coric) April 26, 2022

 

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