NEW YORK: Jessica Pegula staged an astonishing recovery from a set and a break down to defeat Karolina Muchova and reach her first Grand Slam final at the US Open on Thursday.
The sixth-ranked American came through 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 and will take on world number two and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s championship match.
Sabalenka reached her second successive US Open final by seeing off another American, Emma Navarro 6-3, 7-6 (7/2).
“I thought I was lucky to still be in it,” admitted Pegula after seeing Czech opponent Muchova miss an easy chance to go 3-0 up with a double break in the second set.
“She made me look like a beginner, she was destroying me and I was about to burst into tears but it all came down to small moments.
“I don’t know how I turned that around.”
Pegula has now won 15 of 16 matches on the US summer hard court swing which saw a title in Toronto and defeat in the Cincinnati final to Sabalenka.
“It’s a chance for revenge, but she’ll be tough to beat,” said Pegula.
Muchova saved three break points in the third game of the first set which sparked a rapid collapse by Pegula.
The 30-year-old American dropped serve in the fourth and sixth games and lost a set for the first time in the tournament.
Muchova’a all-court game yielded 11 winners to her opponent’s three as the opener was wrapped up in just 28 minutes.
It was a severe comedown for Pegula who had knocked out world number one Iga Swiatek on Wednesday to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal after losing all six of her previous last-eight matches.
Muchova then broke for a 2-0 lead in the second set, racking up a seventh game in a row before Pegula stopped the rot.
That suddenly reinvigorated the American who went 4-2 ahead before being pulled back to 4-4 but then levelled the semifinal when Muchova double-faulted on set point.
Pegula sprinted to a break up at 3-0 in the decider and then 5-2 after a seventh game which stretched to alnmost 10 minutes.
The last of Muchova’s 46 unforced errors sealed her fate.
Pegula in thrilling comeback to set-up US Open final with Sabalenka
https://arab.news/6xyqx
Pegula in thrilling comeback to set-up US Open final with Sabalenka
- The sixth-ranked American will take on world No. 2 and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s championship match
- Pegula has now won 15 of 16 matches on the US summer hard court swing which saw a title in Toronto and defeat in the Cincinnati final to Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek reaches Madrid Open quarterfinals after ‘relaxed’ day during blackout
- Swiatek said she took away food from the tournament site and relaxed at the hotel until the power came back on
- “I just chilled and used that time to not think about what I should do”
MADRID: Power was restored at the Caja Magica tennis complex Tuesday and the Madrid Open resumed with a packed schedule that included second-ranked Iga Swiatek advancing to the quarterfinals after a “more relaxed” day because of the blackout.
Following the major blackout that prompted 22 matches to be postponed on Monday, Swiatek returned to the center court and defeated Diana Shnaider 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-4 to stay on track to defend her title in the Spanish capital.
“I liked yesterday. I think the whole world was just more relaxed, kind of, obviously the people who didn’t lose because of this,” she said. “I enjoyed the time off, and I tried to just recover, because we need to savor these free days, for sure.”
Swiatek said she took away food from the tournament site and relaxed at the hotel until the power came back on.
“I just chilled and used that time to not think about what I should do,” she said. “There was no signal, so basically no one used their phones. It was nice, I liked it.”
Most parts of Madrid regained power overnight, but the Caja Magica was still without electricity early Tuesday, causing a delay in the opening of the gates for fans.
The power came back quickly, though, and organizers did not have to alter the day’s schedule of matches, although there was the possibility of the night session being delayed because of the high number of matches during the day.
Swiatek to face Keys
Swiatek cruised in the first set but had to save 11 of 13 break points to seal a hard-fought victory against the 13th-seeded Shnaider.
Swiatek has not lost before the quarterfinals in seven tournaments this season but hasn’t gone past the semifinals since Roland Garros last year. She will next face Madison Keys, who defeated Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3.
It will be Swiatek’s first meeting with Keys since she lost despite having match point in the semifinals of the Australian Open that was won by Keys.
“We played last year here, but I think it was a night session or something,” Swiatek said. “I don’t know, I think it was like colder or a little bit different, so for sure we’ll watch that match.”
Berrettini out with injury
In the men’s side, 31st-ranked Matteo Berrettini withdrew with an apparent abdominal injury after losing the first set 7-6 (2) to sixth-ranked Jack Draper.
“I think he said his abs were pulling,” Draper said. “I’ve had injuries in the past. I believe he might have done it in his last match, so credit to him for coming out here and putting on a good first set. I saw his energy was a bit low in general.”
Sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur tied Carlos Alcaraz with a tour-leading 24th win this season by getting past Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 7-6 (3).
The seventh-ranked De Minaur will next face Lorenzo Musetti, who beat 2019 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 7-6 (3).
Americans Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe both won their matches. The 11th-seeded Paul defeated Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, while the 16th-seeded Tiafoe beat Alexandre Muller 6-3, 6-3.
Paul was among the players having to play doubles on the same day as their singles matches. Another was 19-year-old Jakub Mensik, who defeated Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-2 before having to play his doubles match on the same court a bit later.
Tuesday’s schedule included second-ranked Alexander Zverev facing Francisco Cerundolo. On the women’s side, the remaining six fourth-round matches were scheduled, including top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka facing Peyton Stearns.
Refunds for ticket holders
There were huge lines outside the complex, and people with tickets for Monday’s matches were not allowed back in on Tuesday.
“Nobody said anything yet,” said Juan Duato, who was denied entry when he arrived on Monday during the power outage. “They said we couldn’t come in and asked us to contact customer support. Apparently they will send us an email.”
Organizers said later Tuesday that anyone who purchased tickets for Monday would receive a full refund for the purchase. That process would be carried out automatically over the next few days.
Fans already inside were asked to leave the Caja Magica a few hours after the outage happened shortly after 12:30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT) on Monday. Two ATP singles matches and one doubles match were underway at the time.
There were longer-than-usual wait times for players to be transported back to the hotel on Monday.
Australian doubles player Purcell accepts 18-month doping ban
- Max Purcell has admitted receiving intravenous vitamin infusions of more than 500ml on December 16 and 20, 2023
- The limit under the World Anti-Doping Code is 100ml in a 12-hour period
SYDNEY: Australia’s two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Max Purcell has accepted an 18-month doping ban, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old in December took a voluntary suspension, describing himself at the time as “devastated” and saying he had not intended to break anti-doping rules.
Purcell has admitted receiving intravenous vitamin infusions of more than 500ml on December 16 and 20, 2023. The limit under the World Anti-Doping Code is 100ml in a 12-hour period.
His ban will end on June 11, 2026, taking into account time served out of the sport.
He will also forfeit results and prize money for the period between December 16, 2023 and February 3, 2024.
Purcell’s co-operation and information sharing with the ITIA allowed for a 25 percent reduction in sanction, it said.
ITIA chief executive Karen Moorhouse said: “This case does not involve a player testing positive for a prohibited substance but demonstrates that the anti-doping rules are broader than that.”
Writing on Instagram, Purcell said: “I have accepted the mistake I made and will make sure I’m even more diligent with everything regarding the integrity of the sport.”
Purcell won the 2022 Wimbledon doubles title alongside fellow Australian Matt Ebden and the US Open crown in 2024 with Jordan Thompson.
In his social media post, Purcell said he had been unable to sleep and eat properly because of his worries over the case.
“I’m so glad this is finally over for me and I can move on with my life,” he added.
It is the latest doping controversy in tennis.
Former women’s number one Iga Swiatek is back in action after last year accepting a one-month ban after testing positive for a banned substance.
Men’s number one Jannik Sinner has been out of action since accepting a three-month doping ban in February after twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March last year.
The three-time Grand Slam winner is due to return before the Rome Open, which runs from May 7-18.
With a little help from Kei Nishikori, Moyuka Uchijima hits new heights in Madrid
- Ons Jabeur’s conqueror reaches maiden WTA 1000 last-16
MADRID: Moyuka Uchijima is living a dream – at least that’s how she described it.
Over the past few days, the Japanese world No. 56 defeated her favorite player Ons Jabeur in the second round before claiming a career-first top-10 win over world No. 3 Jessica Pegula on Sunday.
This time last year, Uchijima was ranked 130 in the world, which was not high enough for her to get into the draw in Madrid. She was instead grinding it out on the lower-level ITF circuit.
Then she went on a 15-match winning streak, sweeping three consecutive titles — in Japan, Slovakia and Spain — in as many weeks.
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) April 27, 2025
Moyuka Uchijima reacts to scoring the biggest win of her career by defeating #3 seed Jessica Pegula in Madrid. pic.twitter.com/Bnyh2R8aSq
That run earned her a place in the top 100 for the first time, and the 23-year-old has not looked back since, rising to a career-high 51 in the world earlier this month.
With wins over Robin Montgomery, and 2022 Madrid finalists Jabeur and Pegula, Uchijima punched her ticket to the last-16 stage at a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time.
She will take on 21-seed Ekaterina Alexandrova for a place in the quarterfinals on Monday evening.
“I’m just really, really happy. It’s my first Masters 1000 round of 16, and I still cannot believe it, I’m in a dream kind of,” Uchijima said in an interview with Arab News and wtatennis.com.
“I know Jessica is a really, really great player, so I was just really happy to share a court with her, but to get a win is something really, really special for me.”
Uchijima entered her third round against Pegula with a 0-6 record against top-10 opposition, including a tight third-set tiebreak loss to Coco Gauff in Indian Wells last month.
She lost in similar fashion to 15th-ranked Mirra Andreeva at the Australian Open early in the year.
shock of the week?
— wta (@WTA) April 27, 2025
Uchijima defeats Pegula 6-3, 6-2 for the biggest win of her career!#MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/TDikqdMHTu
Those two close defeats gave Uchijima the belief she was at the same level as these top players; she just needed to get over that final hump and close out victories.
She did just that against Jabeur and Montgomery, rallying back from a set down, and was clinical in her straight-sets win over Pegula.
“I just try not to think about the score, because when you think you have a chance, then you start to get nervous,” explained Uchijima.
“So this week, I’m just trying to, even first round, I was getting killed by Robin Montgomery, she is also a great player; I just try not to think during the point too much and just enjoy the moment and just try to do what I can do at that moment.”
She added: “Ons is one of my favorite players, and I’m always watching her on TV.
“And Jessica as well. Obviously, they’ve always been on top in the WTA Tour, so it’s kind of a dream that I’m playing against them and actually able to win some matches.”
Jabeur, the Tunisian former world No. 2, plays a brand of tennis that Uchijima finds particularly exciting to watch, albeit when she is not on the receiving end of it.
“It’s just she’s different,” said Uchijima.
“She plays a style that is different than a lot of players, so I hate to play against her because she uses a lot of drop shots, so I have to run more, but to watch is really, really interesting because you don’t see a lot of players like the way she plays, so it’s just really fun to watch.”
Uchijima was born in Kuala Lumpur to a Japanese father and Malaysian mother. She moved around with her family for a few years before settling in Tokyo when she was around 8 years old.
On her way to elementary school every day, she would pass a tennis court at her father Kazuto’s workplace. Uchijima did swimming and basketball at the time, but when she picked up tennis, she enjoyed it way more than the monotony of swim practice and the running drills in basketball.
She forced her sister, who did ballet and gymnastics, to join her during tennis practice and was doing it for fun until, at 13, she realized she was good at it.
Uchijima’s current training base is Guangzhou, where she gets to spend her preseason hitting with Zheng Saiai, Zhu Lin and others.
“A lot of those girls, they’ve been top 30, top 20, so they gave me a lot of tips, and they always support me from wherever,” she said.
“We are far away from each other, maybe not playing the same tournament, but if we play the same tournament, we still support each other, and yeah, of course, my coaches, they’re helping me a lot.”
This week in Madrid, Uchijima received some priceless advice from her compatriot Kei Nishikori, who she grew up watching and idolizing. The 35-year-old Nishikori is a former world No. 4 and the only man from an Asian country to reach a Grand Slam final (US Open 2014).
He contested the men’s tournament in Madrid this week, losing to Denis Shapovalov in the second round, and Uchijima cannot believe that after all these years, she gets to be at the same event as her idol.
“We went to the Olympics together last year, so I got to know him more there,” said Uchijima.
“I was watching him on TV, so it’s just crazy, you’re actually living the same life, same place.
“I don’t have a lot of experience here, playing in Madrid, where (there is) a little bit of altitude, and a little bit different conditions, and Kei played here many, many years.
“And I think he was runner-up here (in 2014), so he gave me some tips. Actually, after the first-round match, he gave me some tips, so I guess it’s working.”
Years after Li Na and Nishikori paved the way, Japan’s Naomi Osaka exploded onto the scene, winning four Grand Slams and becoming Asia’s first singles world No. 1.
More recently, China’s Zheng Qinwen reached the Australian Open final in 2024 and clinched the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Filipina teenager Alex Eala made a historic run to the semifinals in Miami last month.
Asian tennis is booming and Uchijima is keen to write her own chapter in its story.
“I think it’s a really, really great thing,” she said.
“For me, I grew up watching Kei Nishikori and Naomi, for the most part, but yeah, Alex in Miami, what she has done was really, really incredible, and of course, I got a lot of motivation from her, and also from Olympics last year, when Zheng Qinwen won the gold, first Asian to win a gold.
“So yeah, of course, I got a motivation from her that even we can do it, so I don’t know, hopefully, I can be a little part of it, and give some dreams for the younger players, not only in Japan, maybe in Asia.
“Because that’s how I look up, watching Kei and Naomi, so I can hope I can do the same for the younger generation.”
Uchijima grew up playing on hard courts and artificial grass in Japan but says she started to find her game on clay last season and realized the red dirt is probably the most suited to her playing style.
With a quarterfinal spot on the line for Uchijima on Monday, she is focusing on the task at hand and does not want to get distracted by her achievements so far at the Caja Magica.
“It gave me confidence, but there’s a lot of things still I can improve from today’s match, so just trying to improve day by day,” she said.
After competing at a lower-level tournament at a different site in Madrid 12 months ago, Uchijima’s time at the WTA 1000 in the Spanish capital this week has been a significant upgrade.
“Good food, good courts, a good facility — I’m just enjoying it and everything,” she says with a smile.
With the ‘Big Three’ era firmly behind us, will we ever witness that level of unrelenting dominance again in tennis?
- Wider pool of players now sharing spoils as tennis changes
- Physical demands, taxing schedule taking its toll on players
MADRID: It was standing room only at Carlos Alcaraz’s press conference last Wednesday at the Caja Magica, where the Spaniard announced he was withdrawing from the Madrid Open due to injuries in his right and left legs.
After winning Monte Carlo and reaching the final in Barcelona in consecutive weeks, playing 10 matches in 12 days, the four-time Grand Slam champion’s body had had enough.
With the French Open just four weeks away, it made sense that Alcaraz would choose to sit out the Madrid Open and deal with his right adductor and left hamstring issues.
Last year, a forearm injury limited Alcaraz to just one clay-court tournament in the build-up to the French Open, forcing him out of Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome. He still went on to triumph in Paris, defeating Alexander Zverev in the final of the French Open.
The five biggest clay-court tournaments of the spring last season — Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros — were won by five different players.
This clay swing so far, Alcaraz won Monte Carlo and Holger Rune won Barcelona. Rune is out of Madrid, retiring one set into his opener with a right knee injury on Friday.
Long gone are the days where Rafael Nadal would routinely sweep four spring tournaments on the red clay — something he pulled off in nine different seasons.
Or the years when Roger Federer would run away with the last three to five tournaments of the year.
And then start the new season with another undefeated stretch, like that time he built a 41-match winning streak that included seven consecutive titles from August 2006 to March 2007.
Novak Djokovic once won the first 43 matches of the year (2011), suffering his first defeat of the season in the Roland Garros semifinals in early June.
In 2015, the Serb swept Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome, before reaching the French Open final (notching 27 wins in a row), then won Wimbledon.
He finished that season by winning the last five tournaments, clinching all silverware from the US Open onwards.
That is just a glimpse of the kind of dominance the fabled “Big Three” were able to demonstrate since they broke through on the professional circuit, all the way into their mid-30s.
Those extended unbeaten runs they pulled off required stratospheric levels of mental and physical strength, and they did it so often we almost forgot how extraordinary it all was.
As a new era in tennis unfolds, headlined by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, it is becoming more and more apparent just how difficult those long winning streaks put together by the “Big Three” actually were.
Both Sinner and Alcaraz have shown an incredibly high caliber of tennis from a young age and have been sharing the spoils at most of the big events since the start of last season.
Sinner, who is currently serving a three-month anti-doping ban, will return to action next month carrying a 21-match winning streak that started last October in Shanghai.
Alcaraz went 14 matches unbeaten on two occasions, in 2022 and 2023.
Still, it is difficult to imagine the current generation producing the kind of runs we witnessed during the “Big Three” era, for several reasons.
Former world No. 1 Andy Murray, who is currently coaching Djokovic, believes extending ATP Masters 1000 events to 12 to 14 days, as opposed to their typical one-week slots, has made it harder for players to sweep such tournaments back-to-back.
“I think just because of the longer events now, I think it’s harder to do that,” Murray said in an interview with Arab News and Tennis Majors in Madrid this week.
“I preferred how it was before because, it probably allowed you to play more matches in a condensed period, but then you had more time to rest and recover, whereas now the rest and recovery happens at tournaments and that’s not the normal rest.
“Physically and mentally, it’s not the same because you come into the courts, you practice, you’re around lots of people.
“As much as I know it’s nice like to be here playing but it’s a stressful environment when you have lots of people and cameras and everything watching your practices rather than having a quiet environment where you can work on things and practice in peace is a bit different.”
Grigor Dimitrov was a “Big Three” contemporary for many years and is still competing at a high level at the age of 33, currently ranked 16 in the world.
The Bulgarian believes the tour right now is “taxing on the body,” irrespective of how old or young you are.
“These two-week events, it’s just difficult however you look at it and there’s always going to be a moment where you just can’t go on,” said the former world No. 3.
“It’s not because you’re weak or anything like that, it’s just you don’t have it in you and I think each one of the players should, to a certain extent, recognize that and be very mindful of how they’re positioning themselves in terms of scheduling their play.
“It’s taxing on the body, I don’t think there’s any secrets around that, I think it’s just purely the intensity of the competition and all that. It has changed over the course of whatever, the past 15 years, everything has changed.
“However way you look at it, players have changed, now the different generation comes through, the tournaments are longer, physically everyone is pushing themselves more.
“The ball is faster, strings are different, racquets are different, so you know like overall everything kind of sped up a little bit and then what can you do?”
Frances Tiafoe does not think players are unable to sweep multiple tournaments in a row regularly has anything to do with the taxing schedule or the physical and mental issues that can arise because of it.
“I don't think it’s a schedule thing. I just think it’s a level thing,” said the 27-year-old American.
“I think the level is very similar, anybody can clip anybody on a given day. I think it’s exciting times. Tennis reminds me of, right now, from 2000 to 2004 or 2005. It’s a window.
“Anybody can win Slams. Anybody can win tournaments like this. We’re going to have, probably every Masters (season), there’ll probably be eight, nine winners. I’m pretty sure.
“Maybe Alcaraz and Sinner will probably get two or three. But it’s an open game. I don’t think anyone fears anyone. No one’s that much better than anyone, except Sinner and Alcaraz. I respect those two. But I think everybody else, if they’re not playing well, they can lose.”
Tiafoe is happy to experience this kind of unpredictability on the tour.
“I lived the ‘real era.’ So for me, it feels great,” he added.
“It feels great to know I can play quarters or semis, at a Slam and that’s not like winning it, in a sense. Because I’m 20 at the Australian Open (in 2019), I lose to Rafa in the quarters and in my mind, I’m like, I’m not beating Rafa.
“But now, you can play anyone. I really feel like at the Slams, anyone can win.”
World No. 4 Taylor Fritz believes “it’s possible” to witness wild winning streaks in this era but acknowledges the clay season is particularly tough, given the number of big events crammed within a short period.
There are three Masters 1000 clay tournaments scheduled within a five-week window ahead of Roland Garros.
“It speaks to how insane those guys (the ‘Big Three’) were, they could just play non-stop all the time. And it’s tough to go back-to-back-to-back and just keep having big weeks, especially this time of the year, because there’s a lot of big events all in a row,” said Fritz.
“There aren’t necessarily good weeks in this time of the schedule to take off. So, yeah, this is a very tough part of the year to just win, win, win, win, win. But, I mean, it just speaks to how good those guys were I guess.”
Djokovic acknowledged that he, Federer and Nadal had some dominant stretches but played down how frequent those runs came about.
When asked about Alcaraz’s withdrawal from Madrid, Djokovic was quick to note how young the Spaniard still is. Alcaraz turns 22 next week and is already a four-time major winner and an Olympics silver medalist.
“For me personally, that level of dominant tennis and achievements came when I was 23, 24 years old and then after that.
“So between, let’s say, 23 and 33 is when it was really happening. And now Carlos is still not 23,” said the 37-year-old Djokovic, who as recently as 2023, started the season with a 15-0 run and swept Cincinnati, the US Open, and the Paris Masters at the end of the year.
“We have to remember that what he has done for his age is not also normal. I’m sure that we’ll see a lot of him on the big stage with trophies in the future in, whatever, 10 years, 15 years, as long as he’s playing.”
Djokovic believes it is hard to compare eras, adding: “The last 20 years was dominated mostly by the four of us (including Andy Murray).
“And obviously when the three of my biggest rivals retired, you can feel there’s a shift, not only in terms of the generations of players that are now, all of a sudden, the main focus and attention is on them.
“But it’s just, I guess it takes a little bit of time for people to accept the fact that Roger and Rafa are not playing, and Murray, and I guess one day myself.
“But I’m still trying to stay there and represent the older guys, the older generation. Hopefully that brings a positive effect to the tournaments and to the tour itself.”
Djokovic crashes to nervous Arnaldi in Madrid opener, Swiatek advances
- The fourth-seeded Djokovic suffered a second consecutive opening defeat, after losing his opener against Alejandro Tabilo in Monte Carlo two weeks ago
- Arnaldi, ranked 44th in the world, recorded just the second top-five win of his career and scribbled ‘OMG’ on the camera lens after his landmark victory
- Seventh-seeded teenager Mirra Andreeva continued her impressive form at WTA 1000 tournaments this season by storming into the fourth round with a 7-5, 6-3 performance against Polish 27th-seed Magdalena Frech
MADRID: Novak Djokovic admits he may have played his last-ever match at the Madrid Open after he crashed out in his opening round encounter on Saturday, while Iga Swiatek advanced to the last-16 on the women’s side of the draw.
Djokovic’s bid for a 100th career title was scuppered by Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who beat the Serb 6-3, 6-4 in the second round.
The fourth-seeded Djokovic suffered a second consecutive opening defeat, after losing his opener against Alejandro Tabilo in Monte Carlo two weeks ago.
Asked if this was his last on-court appearance in the Spanish capital, Djokovic said: “It could be. It could be. I’m not sure if I will come back. So, I don’t know. I mean, I’ll come back, maybe not as a player, of course. I hope it’s not, but it could be.”
Arnaldi, ranked 44th in the world, recorded just the second top-five win of his career and scribbled ‘OMG’ on the camera lens after his landmark victory.
The athletic 24-year-old squandered a 2-0 lead early in the contest but pounced again in the eighth game, breaking the Djokovic serve. The Italian wrapped up the opening set in 48 minutes.
Djokovic, a three-time champion in Madrid, fired 20 unforced errors in the first frame and finished the contest with a total of 32.
“He’s my idol, he’s always been. I was just glad that I could play him because I never played him, I just practiced once with him. So playing him on a stage like this was already a victory for me,” said Arnaldi, who showcased an entertaining brand of all-court tennis.
“But, you know, he is not at his best right now, so I came on court to try to play my best tennis and win. It happened. So right now, I don’t even know what to say.”
The 37-year-old Djokovic conceded he is trying to accept a “new reality,” where he is approaching tournaments with low expectations, given his recent subpar results.
“[My expectations were] Not big at all, to be honest. I was hoping I can play one more match than I played in Monte Carlo,” said the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
“Kind of new reality for me, I have to say, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament.
“But that’s, I guess, the circle of life and the career; eventually it was going to happen.”
Elsewhere, Lorenzo Musetti moved past Argentina’s Tomas Etcheverry 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 to book a third-round meeting with Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The Greek world No. 18 beat Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to get through the round of 64.
Sixth seed Alex de Minaur eased past Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-3, while fifth seed Jack Draper beat Tallon Griekspoor 6-3, 6-4.
Defending champion Swiatek enjoyed a less stressful third-round win compared to her three-set opener against Filipino teenager Alexandra Eala, needing just one hour and 17 minutes to beat familiar foe Linda Noskova 6-4, 6-2.
“I’m happy with my focus and with the way I kept problem-solving until the end of the match,” said Swiatek, who will face Russian Diana Shnaider in the round of 16.
Reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys was broken while serving for her third-round victory at 5-4 in the second set against Anna Kalinskaya, but recovered to complete a 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) victory.
The fifth-seeded Keys lost to Kalinskaya earlier this month in Charleston.
“I knew I had to raise my level after getting a bit of a spanking last time,” said Keys.
American fourth seed Coco Gauff eased past compatriot Ann Li 6-2, 6-3 to set up a last-16 clash with Swiss Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic.
Seventh-seeded teenager Mirra Andreeva continued her impressive form at WTA 1000 tournaments this season by storming into the fourth round with a 7-5, 6-3 performance against Polish 27th-seed Magdalena Frech.
The 17-year-old Russian, who won back-to-back titles in Dubai and Indian Wells, will take on Ukrainian qualifier Yulia Starodubtseva for a shot at reaching a second consecutive Madrid quarterfinal.
