Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Tuesday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Mutua Madrid Open, while Roger Federer shook off a brief bout of pre-match jitters as he returned to clay after a three-year absence to beat Richard Gasquet in the second round of the men’s singles.
Fifth seeds Hsieh and Barbora Strycova defeated Jennifer Brady of the US and Jessica Moore of Australia 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) in 1 hour, 25 minutes at La Caja Magica in the Spanish capital.
The Taiwanese-Czech duo saved six of eight break points and converted four of eight, winning 42 percent of their points on return to advance to a quarter-final against the winners of yesterday’s second-round clash that pitted Spanish duo Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Sara Sorribes Tormo against third seeds Samantha Stosur of Australia and Zhang Shuai of China.
Photo: EFE
In the men’s singles, 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer needed just 52 minutes to brush Gasquet aside 6-2, 6-3, but confessed he had to control his emotions during afternoon match strategy sessions with his team.
“I was very calm all day, but two hours before, I was feeling it a bit, but that was the only time,” Federer said. “The nerves went away quickly, I’m just happy I started well.”
“I’m glad to be back,” said the three-time Madrid Open champion, who last played on clay almost three years ago, losing to Dominic Thiem in Rome.
Federer skipped the dirt for two full seasons to concentrate on his grass-court form, winning Wimbledon in 2017.
He claimed the Madrid Open title in 2006, 2009 and 2012.
“I’ve been missing the clay, this is a great return, it’s a special night for me,” he said. “I’ve trained well, but that’s not like a match. The points here are quicker and first matches anywhere can be tricky, but I felt really natural on the clay tonight.”
Novak Djokovic needed just 65 minutes to make a winning start, while Naomi Osaka channeled her inner “zombie mode” to earn a place in the third round of the women’s singles.
Top seed and world No. 1 Djokovic hammered Taylor Fritz of the US 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the round-of-16 following a premature exit a year ago.
“I thought my serve was very efficient today, that’s a big advantage,” Djokovic said. “The match was close at the beginning, in the second set I read his serve better and just managed to put an extra ball in to the court. It was a solid opening match for me.”
Djokovic won the Madrid title in 2011 and 2016. He will be chasing a fourth straight Grand Slam trophy at Roland Garros in Paris next month.
Women’s top seed Osaka defeated Sorribes Tormo 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-0.
Japan’s Osaka, winner of the past two Grand Slams, said that she had to conquer her inner demons to finish off a difficult match.
“In the third set, I just, like, went zombie mode,” she said.
“I just thought of everything that I had to do to win — not necessarily the outcome, but just like the little things in between every game. The match was basically on my racket, she wasn’t going for winners. The points ended by me making a winner or an unforced error, but I was a bit unfocused in the second set,” she added.
Third seed and two-time champion Simona Halep of Romania ended the hopes of Johanna Konta 7-5, 6-1 in the second round.
“I feel good every time when I come to Madrid, and I’m happy to be back and winning matches,” Halep said. “It was a good match. Both of us played very well and, in the end, I was a bit stronger mentally and I found a rhythm.”
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