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IMAGE: Andy Murray celebrates victory over Dominic Thiem within the first spherical of the Madrid Open at La Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain, on Monday. {Photograph}: Clive Brunskill/Getty Pictures
Former world primary Simona Halep stepped up her French Open preparations with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over American Coco Gauff to march into the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open on Monday whereas Andy Murray gained on clay for the primary time in 5 years.
Wildcard Murray got here out on prime over Dominic Thiem, who has struggled since his comeback from a wrist damage which prevented him from defending his US Open crown final yr, within the first spherical of the lads’s match.
Thiem, who spent eight months on the sidelines, was taking part in solely his fourth match this yr and the Austrian — winless in 2022 — was removed from his finest. Thiem made 33 unforced errors, the vast majority of which got here from his forehand.
Murray was the sharper of the 2 gamers and after successful 6-3, 6-4 the Scot — who recovered from a hip surgical procedure that just about ended his profession — gave Thiem phrases of encouragement.
“I hope you’re feeling higher quickly,” Murray advised Thiem on the web. “I am glad to see you again. Maintain going, it takes lots of time however you will be high quality.”
Earlier, Italian tenth seed Jannik Sinner made an ideal escape when he fought again from a set down after which saved three match-points to dispatch American Tommy Paul 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 6-3 in a three-hour battle to maneuver into the second spherical.
“It was a really tough scenario. I used to be up within the first set 5-2 after which I misplaced it,” stated Sinner, who will subsequent face Alex de Minaur.
“He performed an excellent tiebreak. I made a few unforced errors originally and the second set was type of a roller-coaster additionally.”
In the meantime, Halep, who gained the French Open in 2018 and the Madrid title twice, is unseeded after her rating fell final yr following a sequence of accidents however she has but to drop a set within the match this yr.
The Romanian, now ranked 21 on the earth, was at her aggressive finest on the crimson clay and confirmed willpower to win the longer rallies however was unable to interrupt till the American teenager made a sequence of unforced errors to go down 5-4.
Halep served out the set nevertheless it solely fired up Gauff because the 18-year-old immediately grew in confidence and located success on the web to race right into a 3-0 lead within the second set.
However the Romanian counter-puncher rapidly recovered and fought again as Gauff’s error depend continued to climb, breaking twice to go up 5-4 earlier than wrapping up the competition in 77 minutes.
“I felt like I performed the precisely what I needed to play. Within the second set she modified a bit of bit,” Halep stated in a post-match interview.
“She’s been extra aggressive and it was not straightforward to regulate, however ultimately I pushed her again and I did what I wished to do… We performed a number of instances so I knew what to anticipate.”
Halep will face Tunisian eighth seed Ons Jabeur who beat Belinda Bencic 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in an earlier match the place the ultimate set was performed beneath the roof as a result of rain.
“Only a reminder guys, Simona gained towards Paula (Badosa within the earlier spherical) and she or he’s Spanish. So if she wins it’s important to cheer for me,” Jabeur stated.
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