Monday’s Round of 32 (3rd round) at the Mutua Madrid Open brought us expected victories from the main favorites, but also one huge upset. While Zverev, Medvedev, and Tsitsipas demonstrated their class and secured a spot in the Round of 16, young Belgian Alexander Blockx shocked the tennis world by knocking out the third seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Here is a detailed recap of the four most prominent matches played on Monday.
🇩🇪 Alexander Zverev vs 🇫🇷 Titouan Atmane: The German “Tank” Warms Up (2-0)
Result: Zverev wins 2-0 (6-3, 7-6) in 1h 39m.
After scraping through the drama in the previous round, Alexander Zverev (2) played much more steadily against Frenchman Titouan Atmane. He took the first set with a single break, while the second set saw a bigger fight that the German broke in the tie-break (7-2).
Key Statistics:
- First serve dominance: Zverev won a massive 82% (32/39) of points when landing his first serve, allowing him to control the rhythm of the match.
- Security on break points: The German player saved 4 out of 7 break points he faced, showing mental toughness in crucial moments.
🇷🇺 Daniil Medvedev vs 🇳🇴 Nicolai Budkov Kjaer: Medvedev in his “Clay” Element (2-0)
Result: Medvedev wins 2-0 (6-3, 6-2) in 1h 10m.
Although clay is not his favorite surface, Daniil Medvedev (7) played a tactically perfect match against the Norwegian tennis player. The Russian imposed his baseline game and constantly forced his opponent into errors.
Key Statistics:
- Return pressure: Medvedev was extremely aggressive on the return, winning an incredible 57% (30/53) of points on his opponent’s serve and converting 6 out of 8 break point opportunities.
- Few unforced errors: The Russian dictated the pace, not allowing the Norwegian to find his rhythm, recording 17 winners.
🇬🇷 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs 🇪🇸 David Merida Aguilar: The Greek Gains True Momentum (2-0)
Result: Tsitsipas wins 2-0 (6-4, 6-2) in 1h 09m.
Stefanos Tsitsipas finally looks like a player who can go all the way at a major tournament. His game against the Spanish player was fluid, aggressive, and without oscillations.
Key Statistics:
- Flawless serve: The Greek won 100% (9/9) of his service games, not allowing his opponent a single break point (0/4 break points saved by the Spaniard, Tsitsipas didn’t face any on his own serve).
- Court control: Tsitsipas hit 20 winners with excellent point realization on his first serve (69%).
🇧🇪 Alexander Blockx vs 🇨🇦 Felix Auger-Aliassime: Sensation of the Tournament! (2-0)
Result: Blockx wins 2-0 (7-6, 6-3) in 1h 34m.
The biggest surprise of the day, and perhaps of the tournament so far, was caused by the young Belgian Alexander Blockx. He completely outplayed the third seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime, showing incredible courage and maturity. The Canadian had major issues with his rhythm and made an unusually high number of errors.
Key Statistics:
- The Canadian’s errors: Auger-Aliassime made a staggering 27 unforced errors, with only 12 winners, which is unacceptable for a player of his caliber.
- Blockx’s efficiency: The Belgian played bravely, hitting 23 winners and an impressive 86% success rate at the net (6/7), constantly keeping the Canadian on the defensive.
While the favorites slowly take their places in the Round of 16, players like Blockx and Jodar remind us why tennis is unpredictable.
Follow all the live results and find out the complete schedule for the upcoming days in our ATP Madrid Hub.
