By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, May 4, 2018
Two-time defending Madrid champion Simona Halep players for history in the Magic Box.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
High seeds will confront tricky tests in Madrid’s Magic Box.
The Mutua Madrid Open women’s draw was conducted today and all four former champions in the field could be challenged early.
More: Serena Out of Madrid
Here are our Top 5 Takeways from the Mutua Madrid Open women’s draw.
1. Halep Eyes History
The world No. 1 regards Madrid as a tournament home away from home and has performed like a woman intent on establishing an extended residency in the Magic Box.Two-time defending champion Simona Halep opens against lefty Ekaterina Makarova, whom she crushed in Doha, 6-3, 6-0, earlier this year.
Already the first woman to contest three Madrid finals, Halep is bidding to become the first three-time women’s champ in Madrid history, but may have to beat Stuttgart champion Karolina Pliskova, Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens or Victoria Azarenka to reach the quarterfinals.
2. Ostapenko Ready for Launch
Reigning Roland Garros champ Jelena Ostapenko followed her surge to the Miami Open final with a tough three-set setback to eventual-champion Karolina Pliskova in Stuttgart.
A year ago, Ostapenko did not play Madrid and had to qualify for Rome before she went on a tear winning five three-setters to capture her first Grand Slam title at the French Open. The 20-year-old Latvian opens against Irina-Camelia Begu, could face 2014 champion Maria Sharapova in round two and will be eager to string some clay-court wins together ahead of her pressure-packed return to Paris last this month.
3. Muguruza’s Madrid Issues
Garbiñe Muguruza has a habit of pulling disappearing acts in the Magic Box. The former French Open champion wants so badly to play well in front of home fans, she's looked tight at times posting a 4-6 record in Madrid and failing to survive the second round in six prior appearances. Good news for Muguruza fans: The third-seeded Spaniard can make a breakthrough this year. Muguruza opens against Peng Shuai, who cites clay as her least favorite surface, with a potential round of 16 looming against Indian Wells runner-up Daria Kasatkina
4. Petra Powers On
Remember just a year ago, we were unsure if Petra Kvitova could regain her lofty level of play following a horrific off-season stabbing attack. Kvitova conceded she still lacked full feeling in some fingers on her racquet hand when she launched her comeback at the 2017 Roland Garros. Fast forward a year and Kvitova will arrive in Madrid as a true title contender. The two-time Wimbledon winner won back-to-back titles in St. Petersburg and Doha and has not dropped a set in Prague where she will play for her 23rd career title—and first on home soil—tomorrow. And while clay is not her best surface, Kvitova is a two-time Madrid champion (2011 and 2015). The former French Open semifinalist can dictate play against just about anyone on Madrid’s faster dirt if she’s landing her first serve and first strike. Kvitova’s 128 double faults are most among Top 10 players, but she’s served with command in Prague and is playing with confidence and clarity.
5. No. 1 on Line
Simona Halep is defending 1,000 ranking points from her 2017 title run, but remains in the driver’s seat to retain the top spot. The two-time French Open finalist holds a 1,265-point lead over second-ranked Caroline Wozniacki. The Australian Open champion can regain the world No. 1 ranking by taking the title in Madrid. But since losing to Dinara Safina in the 2009 Madrid final, the quick-footed counter-puncher has only survived the round of 16 once in her last seven appearances.
First-Rounders To Watch
(7) Caroline Garcia (FRA) vs. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
Head-to-head: Garcia leads 2-1
Polona Hercog spoiled Cibulkova’s comeback with a grueling near three-hour victory in Rabat earlier this week. Look for 2016 Roland Garros doubles champion Garcia to pressure the Slovak’s suspect second serve. A former French Open semifinalist and 2016 Madrid finalist, Cibulkova knows how to win on clay and arrived in Madrid early to acclimate to conditions. Two of their three prior meetings have gone the distance, including Cibulkova’s 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Garcia in the 2016 Madrid second round.
(8) Venus Williams (USA) vs. Anett Kontaveit (EST)
Head-to-head: Williams leads 2-0
Eight years after her run to the Madrid final, Venus will need to hit the ground running against the aggressive 29th-ranked Kontaveit, who toppled Kristina Mladenovic, Angelique Kerber and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova en route to the Stuttgart semifinals last month. Both women thrive playing first-strike tennis and both are skilled driving the ball down the line. Williams was a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) victor over the Estonian in their lone prior clay clash at the 2016 Roland Garros. The four-time Olympic gold-medal champion is plaing for her 50th career title.
(12) CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) vs. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)
Head-to-head: Vandeweghe leads 4-2
Their second dirt duel in less than a month is a rematch of their Fed Cup semifinal clash on clay that saw Mladenovic rally for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory before her home crowd in France—her second straight win over the US Open semifinalist. Vandeweghe is the bigger server, while Mladenovic is a better mover on clay.
The explosive—and sometimes erratic—American should be empowered by her best clay-court run of her career as she knocked off US Open champion Sloane Stephens, defending champion Laura Siegemund, Halep and Garcia to reach the Stuttgart final falling to Karolina Pliskova.
(4) Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs. Alizé Cornet (FRA)
Head-to-head: 2-2
Traditionally, these two play tight matches against each other: four of the eight sets they’ve played have been 7-5 or 7-6 scores, including a 6-4, 7-6 (11) Svitolina victory in Rome last year. On the surface, Svitolina should have the edge. She can play more offensive tennis, her first serve has a bit more sting and she’s posted a 19-5 record with two tournament titles (Brisbane and Dubai) this season.
However, Cornet is a gritty competitor and master of head games who knows how to get under an opponent’s skin, has toppled Caroline Garcia (twice) and Julia Goerges this year and made the Charleston quarterfinals on Har-Tru.