Iga Swiatek, the world No. 1, earned a hard-fought victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova to reach the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open for the first time. Swiatek battled for two hours and 25 minutes before securing a 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 win over her opponent.
After the match, Swiatek acknowledged the difficulty of the match, particularly in the second set when she lost a lead. However, she was pleased with her ability to reset and win the third set, which gave her victory. Swiatek will face Petra Martic of Croatia in the quarter-finals, and she will be looking to continue her impressive form.
Martic secured her place in the quarter-finals with an impressive 6-3 7-6 (7-1) win over 11th seed Barbora Krejcikova. Martic has now reached the last eight in Madrid for the second time and will undoubtedly be a tough opponent for Swiatek.
The winner of their match will face either Jessica Pegula or Veronika Kudermetova in the semi-finals. On the other side of the draw, Maria Sakkari will face Irina-Camelia Begu, and Mayar Sherif will play against second-seed Aryna Sabalenka. As the tournament progresses, the competition is heating up, and the players will be looking to secure their place in the later stages.
