The round of 128 at the 2024 Madrid Open is complete, and Thursday’s play saw Rafael Nadal start his last campaign in the Spanish capital with a 6-1 6-0 demolition job against wildcard Darwin Blanch.
More homegrown success came courtesy of Roberto Bautista Agut, who saw off Daniel Galan in three sets before Roberto Carballes Baena won six straight points in the final set tiebreak to beat Dominik Koepfer 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(5).
The Italians matched that with a triple victory of their own at the Caja Magica as Lorenzo Sonego, Matteo Arnaldi, and Flavio Cobolli all triumphed.
Sonego defeated Richard Gasquet in his 1000th tour-level match, while Arnaldi secured a win over Christopher O’Connell. Cobolli also advanced after defeating Alejandro Tabilo. Sonego faces Jannik Sinner next, Arnaldi meets Daniil Medvedev, and Cobolli takes on Nicolas Jarry in the second round.
You can see the full results from day two below.
Day Two 2024 Madrid Open Round of 128 Results
| Winner | Loser | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| Rafael Nadal (PR) | Darwin Blanch (WC) | 6-1, 6-0 |
| Matteo Arnaldi | Christopher O’Connell | 6-4, 6-1 |
| Felix Auger-Aliassime | Yoshihto Nishioka | 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 |
| Roberto Bautista Agut (LL) | Daniel Elahi Galan | 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-1 |
| Pedro Cachin | Sebastian Ofner | 6-3, 6-3 |
| Flavio Cobolli | Alejandro Tabilo | 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 |
| Miomir Kecmanovic | Zhizhen Zhang | 6-3, 6-2 |
| Pavel Kotov | Albert Ramos-Vinolas (Q) | 6-3 6-4 |
| Tomas Machac | Emil Ruusuvuori | 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 |
| Jakub Mensik | Yannick Hanfmann | 6-4, 7-6(3) |
| Thiago Monteiro (Q) | Dusan Lajovic | 6-4, 6-3 |
| Max Purcell | Marcos Giron | 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) |
| Lorenzo Sonego | Richard Gasquet (Q) | 6-2, 7-5 |
| Hamad Medjedovic (Q) | Aleksandar Kovacevic (Q) | 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 |
| Joao Fonseca | Alex Michelsen | 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 |
| Roberto Carballes Baena | Dominik Koepfer | 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(5) |
Nadal Bagels Blanch
Rafael Nadal might not feel good physically, struggle to serve, and be a step slow, but he was still far too superior to Darwin Blanch as he breezed past him 6-1 6-0.
The 16-year-old American, part of the IMG system, picked up a wildcard for the IMG-owned event despite no wins at the Challenger or Tour level and quickly found himself in hot water as he was outclassed from start to finish.
While understandably nervous about facing the best clay courter of all time, he was out of his depth and made 27 unforced errors in a match that lasted just over an hour. A learning experience? Maybe, but giving a Masters 1000 wildcard to a 16-year-old who undoubtedly has potential but has done zero on tour is not a good idea. Qualify for some Challenge Tournaments first.
As a result we learn nothing about Nadal’s level as he was never tested and will face sterner opposition while training at his academy in Manacor.
Rafa faces Alex de Minaur in the next round, who beat him comfortably in Barcelona, and it will be interesting to see if he can put in a better showing on Saturday.
I think I played against an opponent with a great future in front [of him], but today, I am still making mistakes. I just tried to be there and be solid all the time without taking many risks. It worked well. I’m happy to be through and wish him all the best for the future. Nadal on his routine win over Blanch.
Aliassime Overcome Nishioka
Felix Auger-Aliassime showcased his resilience in his opening match, battling past the tricky Yoshihito Nishioka 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 to secure a second-round berth.Â
Nishioka is a lefty with a loopy forehand and road running style, which has frustrated many players. However, the Canadian was able to fire 32 winners en route to victory. In the next round, he will face another tricky opponent, 19th seed Adrian Mannarino.
I was winning my service games quite comfortably in the second and third set, so that was good. I was giving myself chances on the return. I think what changed is I was hitting a little bit deeper, a little bit harder than in the first set. I think I had the right ideas but was not executing well. I was also sharper and more precise in my angles, opening the court. Auger-Aliassime on his win.
Other Matches of Note
- Machac Eliminates Ruusuvuori: The Czech has recorded some impressive wins this year and started well in Madrid, having withdrawn from Barcelona due to illness as he overcame a second-set meltdown to see off Ruusuvuori 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.
- Sonego Sets Sinner Showdown: A 6-2, 7-5 win for the Italian against Richard Gasquet, who was playing his 1000th tour-level match after coming through qualifying.
- Fonseca Gets First Masters 1000 Win: Fonseca is a wildcard that’s actually got some tour-level wins, and he produced the goods in Madrid, seeing off Michelsen 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 with some impressive ball striking.
Madrid Open 2024 Day 2 Highlights
Madrid Open 2024 Day 3 Round of 64 Matches
- Fabian Marozsan vs. Francisco Cerundolo (21)
- Lorenzo Musetti vs. Thiago Seyboth Wild (Q)
- Tommy Paul (15) vs. Lukas Klein (Q)
- Andrey Rublev (7) vs. Facundo Bagnis
- Daniel Altmaier vs. Arthur Fils (Q)
- Tomás MartÃn Etcheverry vs. Denis Shapovalov (PR)
- Juncheng Shang (WC) vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (27)
- Hubert Hurkacz (8) vs. Jack Draper
- Sebastián Báez (18) vs. Luca Van Assche
- Luca Darderi vs. Taylor Fritz (12)
- Ugo Humbert (13) vs. Botic Van De Zandschulp
- Alexander Shevchenko vs. Carlos Alcaraz (2)
- Tallon Griekspoor (24) vs. Taro Daniel
- Jaume Munar vs. Jan-Lennard Struff (23)
- Matteo Navone vs. Holger Rune (11)
- Borna Ćorić vs. Alexander Zverev (4)
What did you make of Nadal’s opening match in Madrid? Let me know in the comments.