Aslan Karatsev vs Zhang Zhizhen will take place in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Madrid Open on May 4.
Follow Us
After experiencing a significant decline in his rankings, Aslan Karatsev has been able to turn things around, getting his act together just in time to prevent further damage to his ranking. He has now advanced to the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters after winning five straight games, including impressive wins over elite competitors Alex de Minaur and Daniil Medvedev. The former world #14 has achieved his first quarterfinal finish at the Masters level, twenty-four months after making it to the Australian Open semifinals, taking home his first ATP title in Dubai, and beating Novak Djokovic in Belgrade. He had to endure three straight defeats in the quarterfinals during a forgettable season in 2022, but he still kept up a respectable 6-4 win-loss record at this stage of tour-level competition.
As long as their hometown favourite is not in danger, match-going fans frequently enjoy the trend of supporting the underdog. At the Madrid Masters, Zhizhen Zhang is taking advantage of this pattern by winning a number of competitive matches while receiving loud crowd support. The 26-year-old has made an unprecedented breakthrough in Chinese tennis history by becoming the first player from China to advance to the quarterfinals of a Masters event with three back-to-back comeback victories against top-30 players. Notably, Yibing Wu made history as the first Chinese player to win an ATP title a few months ago in Dallas.
| Aslan Karatsev vs Zhang Zhizhen | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | May 5, 2023 |
| Surface | Clay |
| Tournament | Madrid Open |
| Stage | Quarter-final |
| Time (India) | 4:30 pm |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Daniil Medvedev | 7-6, 6-4 (W) |
| Alex de Minaur | 3-6, 6-4, 4-6 (W) |
| Botic van de Zandschulp | 6-2, 7-5 (W) |
| Laslo Djere | 7-6, 7-5 (W) |
| Jan-Lennard Struff | 6-4, 6-2 (W) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Taylor Fritz | 6-3, 6-7, 6-7 (W) |
| Cameron Norrie | 2-6, 7-6, 7-6 (W) |
| Denis Shapovalov | 7-6, 4-6, 6-7 (W) |
| Jurij Rodionov | 7-6, 6-4 (W) |
| Zizou Bergs | 6-3, 7-5 (L) |
Zhizhen Zhang is in the lead 1-0. Aslan Karatsev has already proven his abilities by climbing as high as #14 in the ATP Rankings, and on his best days, Zhizhen Zhang is capable of playing tennis at a top-50 level. Both players are likely to be optimistic about their chances in the upcoming game given their recent success and high potential, and the result may depend on who brings their best performance on match day.
Aslan Karatsev vs Zhang Zhizhen will take place in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Madrid Open on May 4.
Australia – beIN Sports
Canada – Rogers Sportsnet, TSN
India – Sony LIV
UK – Amazon Prime Video
US – Tennis Channel
All ATP and WTA Tour level matches can be viewed on demand on the Tennis TV website and app.
