Madrid Open 2012 Schedule: Best 3rd-Round Matchups to Watch

With less than three weeks to go before the French Open, the best players in the world of tennis have made the trek to Madrid for a tuneup before the second Grand Slam event of the year. 

Today is the third day of action and the biggest stars will take the court looking to keep their championship hopes alive. 

Here is a look at where all the top male and female stars can be found on Thursday for their third-round matchups. 

No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. Stanislas Wawrinka

A second-round match with Daniel Gimeno-Traver was a lot more difficult than Djokovic would have liked, and now he needs to prove that was just a temporary setback on the way to yet another championship. 

Djokovic's 24-3 overall record and two singles titles indicates that he isn't in any immediate danger, but things can turn on a dime in tennis. If he struggles again, or loses, his stock is going to tumble before we get to the French Open. 

Wawrinka has come through his first two matches relatively easy. He did need a tiebreaker in the second set against Olivier Rochus before a simple 6-1, 6-4 win over Jurgen Melzer. 

No. 6 Tomas Berdych vs. No. 12 Gael Monfils

This should be the best matchup of the third round, at least on the men's side. 

Berdych breezed through his second-round match against Kevin Anderson. He has been on a roll lately, advancing to the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters last month before falling to Djokovic. 

Monfils is still in search of his first title this season. His last final came against Berdych at the ATP Open Sud de France in January. He lost that match in three sets, looking overmatched at times before showing signs of life in the second set. 

No. 6 Caroline Wozniacki vs. No. 9 Serena Williams

It is not often that we get a clash between two former No. 1 players in the world before a semifinal in a tournament like this, so to see Wozniacki and Williams paired against each other is a treat for the fans. 

Wozniacki has seen her stock drop rapidly this year. She is still in search of that elusive Grand Slam title, but she has also not been able to find the winner's circle in any event this season. 

Williams, on the other hand, seems to be hitting her stride at just the right time. Following a disappointing finish in the fourth round of the Australian Open, she has worked her way back and even won the Family Circle Cup last month. 

This is the second meeting of the year between these two, with Wozniacki going over in straight sets at the Sony Ericsson Open in March. 

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