Madrid Open 2024 Day 3 Recap

Day three at the 2024 Madrid Open saw the two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz return to the Caja Magica.

The Spaniard was making his clay court seasonal debut after injury prevented him from playing Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

He took little time dismantling Alexander Shevchenko and was one of several seeds to progress in straight sets on Friday, with Zverev, Hurkacz, Humbert and Fritz all making smooth progress.

Andrey Rublev was another player who cruised into the third round. The Russian snapped a four-match losing streak by seeing off seasoned claycourter Facundo Bagnis 6-1, 6-4.

However, there were a couple of seeded casualties, notably Lorenzo Musetti, whom Seyboth Wild dispatched in straight sets.

The drama of the round came from Holger Rune, who was just two points from defeat at 5-7, 5-6 30:30, but he hit back to win through in 2 hours and 56 minutes.

You can see the full results from day three below.

Day Three 2024 Madrid Open Round of 64 Results

Rublev Snaps Losing Streak

After being on the receiving end of a default in Dubai, Andrey Rublev has had a rough time on tour, winning just one of his last five matches.

However, he finally found his feet in Madrid, beating qualifier Facundo Bagnis 6-1, 6-4 to make the third round for the fourth year straight.

The Russian blamed his four-match losing streak on a change of training regime, but he reverted to the old method and struck the ball well against the Argentine.

It feels great after a while to start with a win and I’m happy with my performance.I think I played a good match for the first round, especially in completely different conditions compared to other tournaments, and I played a good level. This week, I started to feel more relaxed. I was practising well, and the mood was different since I arrived here. That’s why I felt I should win one match at least. Rublev on finally getting a win on clay.

Alcaraz Silences Shevchenko

Carlos Alcaraz has been a notable absentee during the clay swing, but he’s back for Madrid and gunning for a third title on the spin.

Equipped with a compression sleeve on his right arm, the Spaniard made light work of Alexander Shevchenko, brushing him aside 6-2, 6-1 and showed no signs of the forearm injury that’s hindered him since Miami.

However, despite his impressive performance showcasing lots of variety, he did say post-match that he’s not able to hit his forehand at 100% but feels he can still be competitive, especially in the Madrid conditions.

I think I did pretty well, honestly. I just practised slices, volleys and backhands last month, so I think it worked pretty well today. That was something I was thinking about approaching this match, trying to hit the forehand softer let’s say and trying to be aggressive with the backhand, trying to crash the net as soon as possible. I think I did a really good match in that part. Alcaraz on his first clay court match this season.

Rune Rallies Past Navone

Holger Rune had to dig deep on Friday evening at the Mutua Madrid Open, battling from a set and a breakdown to overcome Argentine Mariano Navone 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-4 in almost three hours.

Trailing 5-7, 5-6, Rune faced a precarious situation, just two points from defeat. However, Navone’s double faults at a critical moment allowed Rune to level the set and force a tie-break, where the Dane displayed heightened aggression to clinch it.

Despite a dip in level when leading 5-1 in the third set, Rune held firm to stave off Navone’s comeback attempts and secured victory. He’ll face Tallon Griekspoor in the third round.

Other Matches of Note

Seyboth Wild Sinks Musetti: Given Seyboth Wild’s showing in the first round, the Italian was always in for a tough day. He has a 9:13 win-loss record for the year and hasn’t produced much on clay. 6-4 6-4 for the Brazilian.

Paul Passes Klein: This was the American’s first outing on the clay due to twisting his ankle a few times during the hardcourt swing, and he had a tough test against qualifier Lukas Klein. 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4.

Shapovalov Sinks Etcheverry: Is the Canadian back to his best? He backed up his impressive first-round win by taking out the 26th-seeded Tomas Martin Etcheverry in straight sets 7-6(3), 6-3.

Hurkacz Downs Draper: This was a humbling experience for Draper, who was outplayed by Hurkacz from the baseline and couldn’t get going. His shots looked powder-puff-like in the face of Hurkacz’s heavy serve and play from the baseline. 6-1, 7-5.

Zverev Chops Down Coric: 6-3, 6-2 for the German, who didn’t face a single break point in the 88-minute clash as he looks to win his third career Madrid title.

Madrid Open 2024 Day 4 Round of 64 Matches