Power Outage Disruptions Set Stage for Dramatic Matches
The Madrid Open resumed with high-stakes drama after Monday's nationwide power outage forced multiple postponements, creating scheduling imbalances. Top men's seed Alexander Zverev suffered a stunning Round of 16 defeat to Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo (7-5, 6-3), while Czech rising star Jakub Mensik advanced with a decisive 6-2, 6-3 win over Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik.
Men's Competition Sees Major Shakeups
In late Round of 32 matches, USA's Frances Tiafoe dominated France's Alexandre Muller 6-3, 6-3, and Canada's Gabriel Diallo staged a comeback victory against Britain's Cameron Norrie. Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas delivered a tactical 7-5, 7-6(3) win over Italy's Lorenzo Musetti, while Australia's Alex de Minaur overcame Canada's Denis Shapovalov in a tense second-set tiebreak.
Sabalenka Leads Women's Contenders
Belarusian top seed Aryna Sabalenka demonstrated championship form with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over America's Peyton Stearns, breaking serve decisively. Poland's Iga Swiatek survived a three-set thriller against Russia's Diana Shnaider (6-0, 6-7(3), 6-4), while USA's Madison Keys cruised past Croatia's Donna Vekic in straight sets.
