Bianca Andreescu and Denis Shapovalov eliminated in Madrid, Novak Djokovic passes

She defended well in the first set until the 12th game. Pegula finally won it in 66 minutes after winning 70% of the rallies with her first serve.

The first game of the second set was very tight, and Andreescu showed his determination by breaking his opponent’s serve on his third attempt to take the lead. But the American did not let herself be disheartened and equalized immediately after with a break.

The match was suspended by rain when the American was leading 3-1. After the 30-minute break, the latter broke away at 4-1.

Andreescu wanted to delay the inevitable, with two break points at 1-5, but Pegula resisted well.

The Canadian saved 14 out of 17 break points, but showed that she is gradually finding her bearings, despite her 31 unforced errors (against 24 for her opponent).

We could have each won the first round, as we had chances, explained Julia Pegula. We were both very sharp. But I stayed focused, and it was me who got it.

The two players had already met once in 2019, in Newport, and the Ontarian won in three sets of 0-6, 6-4 and 6-2.

Julia Pegula will face in the quarterfinals the Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo, 47th in the world.

For her part, Gabriela Dabrowski won her doubles match with her Mexican partner Giuliana Olmos. They beat Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri 6-3, 6-2 in 71 minutes.

An upcoming duel between Djokovic-Murray, Shapovalov misses the meeting

Gaël Monfils does not know how to beat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

It was their 18th meeting. And the Serb still dominated the French in two sets of 6-3 and 6-2. It was his first two-set victory since returning to clay. However, he is not yet at his best.

I would say it’s my best game this seasonreacted Djokovic.

His next opponent will be the Briton Andy Murray, invited by the organizers, winner of the Canadian Denis Shapovalov (16th in the world) in three rounds.

The Briton took a 3-1 lead in the first set after breaking the Canadian’s serve in the 4th game.

Then, after breaking Shapovalov’s serve a second time in game 6, Murray won the first set 6-1 with astonishing ease in 35 minutes.

The Canadian came to his senses in the next set, which he won after breaking Murray in the sixth game.

The Briton, however, was perfect on his serve in the decisive set and twice stole his rival’s offering, the last to seal the match in 2h 11min.

Murray will therefore face Djokovic in the next round for the 37th time for a place in the quarter-finals. The Serb has the 25-11 advantage in his confrontations with the one who will celebrate his 35th birthday in just under two weeks.

Highly anticipated, Rafael Nadal will start his season on clay on Wednesday against Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic (32nd), just three weeks from the French Open in Paris.

Nadal’s last match dates back to March 20, his final loss in Indian Wells against American Taylor Fritz the day after his rib injury.

In doubles, it goes for Auger-Aliassime

Félix Auger-Aliassime and his partner Grigor Dimitrov reached the round of 16.

The Quebecer and the Bulgarian beat the Argentinians Maximo Gonzalez and Diego Schwartzman 6-3 and 7-6 (10/8) after 1 h 51 min of play.

Auger-Aliassime and Dimitrov will face in the next round the winners of the match between Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah and the duo formed by South African Raven Klaasen and Japanese Ben McLachlan.

In addition, Auger-Aliassime’s singles match, seeded No. 8, against a player from the qualifications has been moved to Wednesday.