The main draw of the Madrid Open for women is underway at the Spanish capital. From Victoria Azarenka to Emma Raducanu, Day 2 saw some strong performances as well as some surprise exits.
The Mutua Madrid Open is the first WTA 1000 tournament of the season taking place on clay. Most of the top players are taking part in it, with Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka being among the favorites to lift the trophy.
The second day of the tournament had its fair share of upsets. Several higher-ranked players bit the dust against their opponents. In this article, we will take a look at three such upsets.
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#3. Ajla Tomljanovic losing to Rebeka Masarova
Tomljanovic is currently ranked 79th in the world, but lost to Masarova, who is ranked 153rd in the world at the moment, in the first round of the tournament. Tomljanovic, the 31-year-old from Australia, recently reached the round of 16 of the Charleston Open. Masarova beat her 6-3 1-6 7-5.
She served poorly against Masarova on the day, firing a solitary ace and winning 68% of the points in her first serve, while the latter managed 83% on hers. It was a disappointing performance from the Aussie overall.
#2. McCartney Kessler losing to Bianca Andreescu:
Kessler is ranked 43rd in the world and is one of the more consistent players on the Tour. However, she lost to Andreescu, ranked 132nd in the world, on Wednesday. Andreescu thrashed Kessler 6-2, 6-4 to book a place in the second round.
Kessler only managed to win 50% of the points on her second serve in the match and was broken four times. The American managed to convert only one of her eight break-point opportunities in the match and suffered a humbling defeat.
#1. Victoria Azarenka losing to Olga Danilovic:
Victoria Azarenka, the two-time Grand Slam champion, lost in her opening match of the tournament to Olga Danilovic, ranked 34th in the world. Azarenka has been a top-10 player in the past. However, at 35, she is no longer the player she used to be.
Danilovic won the match 6-4, 6-2 on the day. Victoria Azarenka was broken five times in the match and handed the Serbian an easy victory. It has been a disappointing year for the latter so far, and Wednesday's loss compounded her misery. The veteran might not continue playing at the top-level for too long and one should be prepared to see her hang up her boots soon.
