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After losing in the first round to Bianca Andreescu in Miami and Karolina Pliskova in Stuttgart, Maria Sakkari arrived in Madrid. She refused to let that pattern continue, defeating Arantxa Rus 6-4, 6-4, only dropping one service game. She has made five main draw appearances and now has four career victories at the competition. The Greek player’s wait for a championship has now lasted four full years, despite the fact that she has achieved 10 semifinal or better finishes since the beginning of 2023. She has also suffered some heartbreaking losses this year, losing to Zhu Lin in the third round of the Australian Open as well as in the semifinals of Linz, Doha, and Indian Wells.
Rebeka Masarova was ecstatic after coming back from a set down to defeat world No. 23 Donna Vekic, 6-1, 7-6, while surviving four set points. It follows her three-set marathon victory over fellow countrywoman Cristina Bucsa in the first round. It is her fifth top 50 victory of her career (5-4) and third of the year. At the beginning of this season, the Spaniard of Swiss descent had only won four WTA main draw matches, three of which had taken place in Gstaad in 2016, the year she won the Roland-Garros junior, and one at the 2021 US Open. She made her debut on the tour after winning the Auckland final as a qualifier, defeating Sloane Stephens and Karolina Muchova along the way.
| Maria Sakkari vs Rebeka Masarova | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | April 30, 2023 |
| Surface | Clay |
| Tournament | Madrid Open |
| Stage | Round of 32 |
| Time (India) | 1 am |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Arantxa Rus | 6-4, 6-4 (W) |
| Karolina Pliskova | 6-2, 6-3 (L) |
| Bianca Andreescu | 7-5, 3-6, 4-6 (L) |
| Aryna Sabalenka | 2-6, 3-6 (L) |
| Petra Kvitova | 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 (W) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Donna Vekic | 1-6, 6-7 (W) |
| Cristina Bucsa | 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 (W) |
| Danka Kovinic | 6-2, 6-2 (L) |
| Mayar Sherif | 6-4, 7-5 (W) |
| Clara Tauson | 6-2, 6-1 (W) |
The two players will face each other for the first time in their respective careers.
Maria Sakkari and Rebeka Masarova will take on each other in the second round of the 2023 WTA Madrid Open on April 30.
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