The first round of the WTA main draw starts a bit earlier than normal, and will be staged over the following 10 days in Madrid. The draw includes 17 of the top 20 women in the world, with only Sofia Kenin, Bianca Andreescu, and Serena Williams absent. The men’s main draw will not commence until Sunday.
On Thursday, world No.1 Ash Barty begins her quest for a fourth title this season, and it’s her fourth match this season against American Shelby Rogers. Petra Kvitova is a three-time champion in Madrid, but she opens her tournament against a player who claimed their only previous encounter. Kiki Bertens is the defending champion from 2019, though she’s just 1-3 since undergoing Achilles tendon surgery six months ago. And the day’s most appetizing matchup features two Major champions: Garbine Muguruza and Sloane Stephens.
Throughout the tournament, this preview will analyze the two most prominent matches of the day, and note the other intriguing matchups on the schedule. Thursday’s play will begin at 11:00am local time.
Ash Barty (1) vs. Shelby Rogers – Third on Manolo Santana Stadium
Barty is 4-0 against Rogers, with three of those victories occurring within the last three months. Ash won twice on the hard courts of Melbourne, and then claimed a tight three-setter earlier this month on the green clay in Charleston. The Australian missed nearly a year of competition due to the pandemic, but has been on a tear since returning to the tour, with a 20-3 record and three titles. Last week in Stuttgart, she defeated three top 10 players (Pliskova, Svitolina, Sabalenka) on her way to the championship. Rogers is an impressive 22-11 since the tour restart last summer, which includes wins over Serena Williams and Petra Kvitova. Her improved movement has paired nicely with her power. And Shelby has achieved some good results in her career on clay, most notably reaching the quarterfinals of the 2016 French Open. But it’s a tall task to overcome a player who has taken you out three times within three months, especially when that player is No.1 in the world.
Garbine Muguruza (10) vs. Sloane Stephens – Fourth on Manolo Santana Stadium
They have split their four previous meetings, and also split their two matches on clay. Their most recent clash was at last fall’s Roland Garros, with Muguruza winning in straight sets. All four of their matches have been decided in straights, so winning the first set on Thursday would seem to be crucial. Since the beginning of 2020, when Garbine hired Conchita Martinez as her full-time coach, she has played exceptionally well. The Spaniard has accumulated a record of 44-13, though she just recently earned her first title since 2019 in Dubai. During that same span, Stephens has been in quite a slump, with a dismal record of 8-17. Sloane hasn’t beaten a top 20 player in nearly two years, which happens to be her last victory over Muguruza. Based on recent form, Garbine is obviously a huge favorite. However, Muguruza is only 5-7 lifetime at her nation’s biggest tennis event, so her ability to handle the pressure of playing in her home country may decide the outcome.
Other Notable Matches on Thursday:
Petra Kvitova (9) vs. Marie Bouzkova – Last summer at the Western & Southern Open, 22-year-old Bouzkova prevailed 6-2 in the third. Kvitova loves playing in Madrid: her 29-7 career record is even better than her winning percentage at Wimbledon.
Kiki Bertens (7) vs. Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva (WC) – Bertens is the defending champion from 2019, but has only played 10 matches since February of 2020. Her opponent is a 15-year-old from Andorra, who won last year’s Australian Open junior singles title.
Elina Svitolina (4) vs. Jil Teichmann – While Svitolina is a two-time champion in Rome, she’s shockingly just 3-6 lifetime in Madrid. But she defeated Teichmann in straight sets last September on clay in Strasbourg.
Iga Swiatek (14) vs. Alison Riske – This will be Swiatek’s first match on clay since winning her first Major last October in Paris. Riske has only played one match since Roland Garros, and hasn’t won a match on clay in nearly three years.
Thursday’s full Order of Play is here.
