Madrid Open 2016: Saturday Tennis Scores, Results, Updated Schedule
Elina Svitolina needed three sets to get past Yanina Wickmayer in her first match of the 2016 Madrid Open on Saturday, beating the Belgian 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in just under 110 minutes.
Ekaterina Makarova had it a little easier against Germany’s Annika Beck, winning 6-3, 6-4, while Camila Giorgi shocked Sara Errani, winning in two sets.
The men’s draw started with a qualifying round on Saturday, where Marcel Granollers beat Roberto Ortega-Olmedo in two sets. Ernest Gulbis continued his nightmare stretch with a two-set loss against Lucas Pouille, and Benjamin Becker shocked Ivan Dodig.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Here’s a look at Saturday’s results:
| Camila Giorgi bt. (15) Sara Errani | 7-5, 7-5 |
| Alize Cornet bt. (W) Paula Badosa Gibert | 2-6, 6-2, 2-2* |
| (12) Elina Svitolina bt. Yanina Wickmayer | 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| Ekaterina Makarova bt. Annika Beck | 6-3, 6-4 |
| Christina McHale bt. Anna-Lena Friedsam | 6-0, 6-4 |
| Laura Siegemund bt. Madison Brengle | 6-4, 6-1 |
| Elena Vesnina bt. Aliaksandra Sasnovich | 6-3, 6-0 |
| Mirjana Lucic-Baroni bt. Heather Watson | 7-6 (4), 6-2 |
| Patricia Maria Tig bt. Maria Sakkari | 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 |
| Monica Puig bt. Naomi Broady | 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
| Alison Riske bt. Naomi Osaka | 7-5, 3-2* |
| Katerina Siniakova bt. Bethanie Mattek-Sands | 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 |
| Louisa Chirico bt. Mariana Duque-Marino | 7-5, 6-1 |
| (11) Marcel Granollers bt. (W) Roberto Ortega-Olmedo | 7-6 (5), 6-2 |
| Radek Stepanek bt. (8) Taylor Fritz | 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| (2) Lucas Pouille bt. Ernest Gulbis | 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) |
| Adrian Menendez-Maceiras bt. (13) Adrian Mannarino | 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 |
| Mikhail Kukushkin bt. (3) Inigo Cervantes | 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-5 |
| (9) Denis Istomin bt. Albert Montanes | 6-3, 6-4 |
| Pierre-Hugues Herbert bt. Georgi Rumenov Payakov | 6-0, 6-3 |
| (12) Mikhail Youzhny bt. (W) Akira Santillan | 6-3, 7-6 (7) |
| (5) Denis Kudla bt. Matthias Bachinger | 6-4, 6-3 |
| (6) Robin Haase bt. (W) Alvaro Lopez San Martin | 6-3, 6-4 |
| Roberto Carballes Baena bt. (14) Victor Estrella Burgos | 5-7, 7-6 (1), 6-1 |
| (7) Dusan Lajovic bt. (W) Jaume Munar | 7-5, 6-2 |
| Santiago Giraldo bt. (10) Rajeev Ram | 7-5, 6-3 |
For the full Madrid Open schedule, visit the ATP’s official website.
Recap
Svitolina came into Saturday’s match against Wickmayer looking for her first win on clay in 2016, and it was clear the Ukrainian star was a little rusty in the first set. Her serve, arguably her greatest weapon, didn’t have the depth to trouble her opponent, and she also double-faulted three times.
Her efforts in the return game were even worse, as she won just four return points in the opening set. While she did manage to break Wickmayer’s serve once, the Belgian returned the favour twice and took the opening set.
Svitolina switched gears in a big way in the second set, however, as she suddenly found her form. Wickmayer didn’t win a single point on Svitolina’s serve in the second, and a single break was enough to level the score.
The third set played out in a similar manner, and Svitolina found the break she needed in the ninth game and served out the match to advance to the next round, where she’ll meet the winner of the match between Daria Gavrilova and Yulia Putintseva.
Makarova put together a clinical performance to get past Beck, battling her way to just three break points but converting two to advance in just over 80 minutes. Makarova’s play from the base line was solid, and while she didn’t overpower her opponent with her groundstrokes, her defence made the difference.
That should suit her well in the coming rounds, although her playing style remains better suited for the faster surfaces.
The clay specialist Errani disappointed in her first-round clash with Giorgi, who used an aggressive approach to neutralise Errani's high-percentage serve and dominated in the return game. Giorgi double-faulted four times, and the two combined for no less than 24 break points, as neither player found any success with her serve.
In men's qualifying, Granollers struggled in the first set against Ortega-Olmedo, but he found his best form in the second set, dominating the rallies on his way to an easy win. Radek Stepanek needed three sets to get past Taylor Fritz, while Gulbis and Alberto Montanes lost in disappointing fashion.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
