Madrid: Carlos Alcaraz and Caroline Garcia unravel, Arthur Fils turns away, Aryna Sabalenka goes through pain… What to remember from Friday’s games

The French involved in the Spanish capital experienced mixed luck with the convincing qualifications of Carolina Garcia and Ugo Humbert, and the unquestioned elimination of Arthur Fils.

With the triumphant return of Carlos Alcaraz, the French were among the main names on the courts on Friday, April 26, during the tournament in Madrid. If Caroline Garcia qualified for her entry into the race, Arthur Fils was unconvincing, eliminated for his tournament debut.

Carlos Alcaraz expeditious

The world number 3 did not go into details about his return. After withdrawing from Monte-Carlo and Barcelona due to forearm pain, Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time reigning Masters 1000 winner in Madrid, knocked out Alexander Shevchenko (ranked 59) in just over an hour (6-2, 6-1). The Kazakh, who was defeated by Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the first round, failed to worry the clay specialist (without a successful shot to win).

Carlos Alcaraz showed impressive consistency on serve (80% of first serves) and at the net (100% of points won on the move), breaking from the start in both sets before rolling away. The Spaniard will meet Thiago Seyboth Wild (63rd) in the next round.

Caroline Garcia is in control, like Ugo Humbert

There is no trap for Caroline Garcia. Against the Chinese Wang, Caroline Garcia won 6-1, 6-4 in 1h16. Flawless in the first set, the 21st seed had to overcome a scare in the second set, losing his serve twice. Caroline Garcia showed that she is mentally strong by erasing these breaks against her immediately, before making the difference at the right moment, taking her opponent in the face at 4-4 in the second set. In the third round of the WTA 1000, she will face the Italian Jasmine Paolini, one of the best progressors on the WTA circuit in recent months and the 12th seed.

The French number 1 among men Ugo Humbert (14th) also did not tremble to get rid of Botic Van De Zandschulp (115th) in just 1h20 (6-3, 6-3). Untamed on serve (only one break point allowed), Messin dominated the game head and shoulders, building on the momentum of his quarter-final in Monte-Carlo. In the next round, the German Jan-Lennard Struff (24th) awaits him.

Arthur Fils failed, Luca Van Assche failed

For his part, Arthur Fils could not fight. Against the German Daniel Altmaier, who won only six of his seventeen matches this season, the 19-year-old Frenchman, who had been in pain for several days, was defeated 6-2, 6-3. The 31st seed in Madrid, Arthur Fils played backwards almost the entire match, starting with his serve (57% on the first ball alone, compared to 84% for Altmaier). He was not at his best physically, especially in the first round, the Frenchman made seven double faults, including two in the last game of the first set and a point for his opponent’s advantage. “I’ve been sick for the last few days, I didn’t have the energy to get better today. Rest and focus on Rome,” Arthur Fils confided on his Instagram profile after the meeting.

Luca Van Assche (99) fell with a weapon in his hand. Long dominated by clay-court specialist Sebastian Baez (19th), the Frenchman won the second set before succumbing in the last (6-4, 6-7, 6-3). At the end of a fierce battle that lasted more than three hours, Luca Van Assche surrendered his serve at the worst possible moment, illustrating the chronic feverishness of his throws (15 break points allowed). Just like last week in Barcelona, ​​the native Belgian failed to pass the second round, but bravely held on against a pure countryman.

Big heatstroke for Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka was also with sneakers. Tense, uncomfortable in her movements and the author of a series of unforced errors, the defending champion in Madrid eventually qualified with a mouse hole against Poland’s Magda Linetta, the 48th player in the world. The second player in the world won in three sets (6-4, 3-6, 6-3) and 2 hours and 11 minutes of play, after losing three break points in the third set. Magda Linette perfectly eliminated the Belarusian, showing great precision. The Pole was punished at the first opportunity left to Sabalenka, who broke thanks to a boost from the lane at 4-3, before seeing her opponent touch the line twice by inches in her final service game.

Among the contenders for the final victory, Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina defeated the Italian Lucia Bronzetti (6-4, 6-3).