Carlos Alcaraz started his Madrid Open title defence with a comfortable victory over Alexander Shevchenko.

 

World number three Alcaraz, 20, eased to a 6-2 6-1 win against Kazakhstan's Shevchenko.

 

The Wimbledon champion dominated throughout in a statement performance, with 23-year-old Shevchenko unable to match his pace and flair.

 

It was a welcome return to the clay for Spaniard Alcaraz after a right forearm injury caused him to withdraw from last week's Barcelona Open, although he was wearing a compression sleeve on his arm during the match.

World number one Iga Swiatek beat Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-1 6-1 to reach the last 16 of the Madrid Masters.

 

The Polish top seed, a three-time winner of the French Open, needed only one hour and 18 minutes to win a one-sided third-round match on her favoured surface.

 

Swiatek, runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid last year, will face Belarusian Victoria Azarenka or Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo next.

Madrid has been such a disappointment

Alcaraz out in the Q4 after playing terrible terrible feels to me like he's afraid to hit hard and get injured

plus Sinner and Medvedev retiring...

 

the tournament has been saved by the ladies, some great games

the semis Rybakina-Svalaenka game was great, cannot ait for the Swiatek-Sabalenka final

Is Felix Auger-Aliassime the luckiest player ever this tournament? He's benefited from a walkover and two retirements :lol: Would be nice to see him win, I'm not really a Rublev fan

oh my did Felix play any game? :D

 

the ladies final in Madrid was all kinds of amazing, 3 hours of nail-bitting tennis, anyone could have won

Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from this week's French Open qualifying.

 

The 21-year-old, who won the US Open title in 2021, remains third alternate for the main draw at Roland Garros but is not expected to play.

 

No reason has been given for her withdrawal.

French Open Men's Singles Odds: (Coral)

 

C.Alcaraz 11-4f

N.Djokovic 3/1

J.Sinner 9/2

A.Zverev 6/1

S.Tsitsipas 9/1

C.Ruud 12/1

R.Nadal 22/1

A.Rublev 28/1

D.Medvedev 28/1

H.Rune 40/1

N.Jarry 80/1

T.Fritz 80/1

A.Tabilo 100/1

H.Hurkacz 100/1

J-L.Struff 100/1

T.Paul 100/1

 

French Open Women's Singles Odds: (Coral)

 

Iga Swiatek 4/6f

A.Sabalenka 5/1

C.Gauff 10/1

E.Rybakina 10/1

D.Collins 20/1

J.Ostapenko 40/1

M.Sakkari 40/1

M.Andreeva 40/1

M.Keys 50/1

O.Jabeur 50/1

Q.Zheng 50/1

E.Svitolina 66/1

B.H.Maia 80/1

D.Kasatkina 80/1

J.Paolini 80/1

M.Vondrousova 80/1

E.Navarro 100/1

L.Noskova 100/1

L.Samsonova 100/1

N.Osaka 100/1

P.Badosa 100/1

 

Men's Draw:

 

https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/results/SM?round=1

 

Women's Draw:

 

https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/results/SD?round=1

Not Nadal vs. Zverev being a first round match-up Earliest loss for Nadal at Roland Garros incoming?

 

Of course I'd love for him to defeat the evil, but Zverev just won Rome

Damn Nadal at 22/1 is soo tempting despite everything. Also surprised Alcaraz is that much of a favourite considering he's never won the French.

That's a crazy first-round matchup! An unseeded rider is an unseeded rider I guess, even if it is Nadal.

Nadal lost :/ but at least he played well and had chances

I kinda see him returning next year

All six British players out in round 1, think the commentary said that it's the first time for no Brits to make the second round of a major since the 2020 French Open.

 

Shame for Katie Boulter to lose just now from a set and a break up :( The momentum really seemed to be with her once she won the first set after being 2-4 down.

^Badosa is my #1 so not gonna complain but I have to admit I gave up and went to bed cos I thought Badosa had no chance

 

I was OK with Nadal losing but after thinking about it, he should have been given seed status, at least seed 32 or something

if I were him, I would have said, made me (low) seed or I'm not coming :D

 

Surprised Sakari is out too

 

Very interesting matches today especially Swiatek-Osaka

Swiatek vs. Osaka was huge, feel so sad for Osaka after how close she came, but a great match for her and hopefully a good sign for how good she's going to be once we're back on the hard courts

 

Surprised Sakari is out too

 

The same Sakkari who lost first round at three of the slams last year? :D

Oh wow poor Osaka :/ she had 1 match ball but missed, it would have been a major upset beating Swiatek

really think she should have won, she played fantastic on the 2nd set and most of the 3rd

but then suddenly dropped at the end of the 3rd and for the last 20 minutes she was kinda shitty, nerves? I dont know, she should be used to situations like that

but at least she showed she's 1000% back

 

for some reason I thought Sakkari was back to playing semi-decent games again

I doubt banning alcohol will do anything in regards to the French Open crowd.

some nail-biting games yesterday, Rune winning in the tie-break of the 5th!!

 

Alcaraz needs to step up his game, he played dreadful on Wed, let's see today

Iga Świątek: has to save a match point in the second round

 

Also Iga Świątek: serves two bagels in the fourth round in a match lasting only 40 minutes

 

Granted, Potapova isn't a four time Grand Slam champion like Osaka, but lmao