Sabalenka reaches Madrid Open quarter-final, Zverev ousted by Cerundolo

MADRID – Action at the Madrid Open resumed on Tuesday with a packed schedule after power was restored at the Caja Magica tennis complex, following a blackout that delayed 22 matches.

Aryna Sabalenka began her campaign with a dominant performance, defeating Peyton Stearns in straight sets.

The world number one took control early, winning the first set 6-2. Although Stearns, ranked 44th, managed to lead 4-3 in the second set, Sabalenka rallied back to seal it 6-4, securing her place in the quarter-finals.

This marks the fourth time Sabalenka has reached the last eight at the Madrid Open in the last five years. She will face Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in the next round.

Zverev Ousted by Cerundolo

On the men’s side, top seed Alexander Zverev was ousted by world number 21 Francisco Cerundolo, who won 7-5, 6-3.

This victory not only boosts Cerundolo’s ranking but also marks his second consecutive win over Zverev in Madrid, after beating him last year as well.

Cerundolo broke Zverev's serve once in each set, while Zverev did manage to break back in the first set, only for Cerundolo to save the subsequent break point.

Despite the loss, Zverev, who recently won a title in Munich and is set to defend his Italian Open title, praised his opponent.

"He played better than me today," Zverev admitted. "He definitely played better than me last year when we played here. But to be honest, I didn’t play terrible; he just played better than me."

Cerundolo will face Jakub Mensik in the quarter-finals, after Mensik triumphed over Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-2 in the round of 16.