WTA Madrid: Kerber with a difficult draw, Barty threatens an early duel with Swiatek
Big challenges await Angelique Kerber early on at the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid. That could also apply to world number one Ashleigh Barty .
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Apr 27, 2021, 07:21 pm
It is well known that there are no easy draws at WTA 1000 events, especially for unseeded players. But the path that the only German representative Angelique Kerber in Madrid is likely to face is an extremely rocky one, even for this tournament category.
The world number 26 will open. against Czech Marketa Vondrousova, who was five places ahead of her. In the event of a win, the three-time Madrid winner Petra Kvitova should wait for Kerber, then it could go against defending champion Kiki Bertens. The 33-year-old's possible quarter-final opponent is world number one Ashleigh Barty.
Osaka returns in Madrid
But to do this, the Australian, who meets Shelby Rogers at the beginning, has to clear French Open winner Iga Swiatek out of the way in the previous round. The Pole, for her part, opens up against Alison Riske and then, like Barty, would face a qualifier. In the upper half of the tableau there are also Elina Svitolina, Belinda Bencic and local hero Garbine Muguruza.
Number two will be the Australian Open Champion Naomi Osaka in the Spanish capital. The Japanese will make her first appearance in the Caja Magica since the event in Miami and opens against a qualifier. In the second round, Maria Sakkari could be the woman who ended Osaka's title dream in Florida.
Kenin, Andreescu and S. Williams are absent
A possible quarter-final opponent of the world number two is Karolina Pliskova. The Czech was drawn from Cori Gauff, one of the most difficult opponents, right from the start. In the third quarter of the tableau there is a possible quarter-final duel between Simona Halep and Aryna Sabalenka.
Only Sofia Kenin, Bianca Andreescu and Serena Williams are missing from the top 20 in Madrid. The starting shot for the main women’s competition will be on April 29th, and that for men on May 2nd.