Madrid (Spain) – Saturday’s schedule will be quite hectic at the Madrid tournament, with games involving the competition’s main favorites and many Brazilians. Opening the session at the Manolo Santana Stadium, starting at 6am (Brasília time), world number 1 Iga Swiatek faces Romanian Sorana Cirstea in the third round. In the three previous meetings between them, the Pole got the better of her and conceded just one set.
Following this match, there will be two important men’s games. First, Italian Jannik Sinner will make his debut in the tournament against compatriot Lorenzo Sonego. Soon after, it will be Spanish Rafael Nadal’s turn to meet Australian Alex de Minaur, to whom he lost in the second round in Barcelona last week.
The main court will also be the stage for duels between North American Coco Gauff and Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska and Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic against Norwegian Casper Ruud.
Brazilians in action
At the Arantxa Sanchez Stadium, the second most important stadium in Caixa Mágica, Ceará’s Thiago Monteiro will challenge Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas from 6am. The two have never faced each other on the circuit and a victory would be worth an unprecedented place in the third round of a Masters 1000 for the 29-year-old left-hander.
Rio’s João Fonseca will close the Estádio 3 schedule against Britain’s Cameron Norrie. After becoming just the 15th player under the age of 18 to win a Masters match, the young Brazilian is trying for his second consecutive triumph in the Spanish capital.
In the women’s group, Saturday will be cheering for Beatriz Haddad Maia, who is already in the third round and looking to advance to the round of 16. She will face on Court 5, no earlier than 8:30 am, the American Emma Navarro, who won the only previous duel, at WTA 125 in Charleston in 2021.
Finally, Luisa Stefani from São Paulo will make her debut in the doubles tournament playing alongside Dutch Demi Schuurs. Seeded number 3, they face Poland’s Magda Linette and China’s Shuai Zhang at around 7:30 am, in the second game on Court 7.
See the full schedule for this Saturday
Manolo Santana – 6h
[1]Iga Swiatek (POL) vs. [27]Sorana Cirstea (ROM)
Not before 7:30 am
[1]Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs. Lorenzo Sonego (ITA)
Not before 11am
[10]Alex de Minaur (AUS) vs. [RP]Rafael Nadal (ESP)
Not before 3pm
[3]Coco Gauff (USA) vs. [31]Dayana Yastremska (UCR)
Miomir Kecmanovic (SER) vs. Casper Ruud (NOR)
Arantxa Sanchez – 6h
[Q]Thiago Monteiro (BRA) vs. [6]Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)
Not before 8am
Sloane Stehpens (USA) vs. [5]Maria Sakkari (GRE)
[32]Leylah Fernandez (CAN) vs. [8]Ons Jabeur (TUN)
[18]Madison Keys (USA) vs. [15]Lyudmila Samsonova
[LL]Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) vs. [16]Karen Khachanov
Stadium 3 – 6am
[23]Victoria Azarenka vs. Sara Sorribes (ESP)
[9]Jelena Ostapenko (LET) vs. [Q]Maria Lourdes Carlé (ARG)
[3]Daniil Medvedev vs. Matteo Arnaldi (ITA)
[9]Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) vs. Jakub Mensik (TCH)
[29]Cameron Norrie (GBR) vs. [C]João Fonseca (BRA)
Court 4 – 6am
Max Purcell (AUS) vs. [25]Sebastian Korda (USA)
Pedro Cachin (ARG) vs. [20]Frances Tiafoe (USA)
[17]Alexander Bublik (CAZ) vs. Roberto Carballes (ESP)
Tomas Machac (TCH) vs. [14]Ben Shelton (USA)
Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs. [19]Adrian Mannarino (FRA)
Court 5 – 6am
[30] Jiri Lehecka (TCH) vs. [Q]Hamad Medjedovic (SER)
Pavel Kotov vs. [32]Jordan Thompson (AUS)
Not before 8:30 am
[11]Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) vs. [19]Emma Navarro (USA)
[22]Nicolas Jarry (CHI) vs. Flavio Cobolli (ITA)
Court 7 – Around 7:30 am
Magda Linette (POL)/Shuai Zhang (CHN) vs. [3]Demi Schuurs (HOL)/Luisa Stefani (BRA)
