ATP 1000 Madrid Open

Seeds

1 Alexander Zverev

2 Carlos Alcaraz

3 Taylor Fritz

4 Novak Djokovic

5 Jack Draper

6 Alex de Minaur

7 Andrey Rublev

8 Holger Rune

9 Danill Medvedev

10 Lorenzo Musetti

11 Tommy Paul

12 Ben Shelton

13 Arthur Fils

14 Casper Ruud

15 Grigor Dmiitrov

16 Frances Tiafoe

17 Stefanos Tsitsipas

18 Felix Auger-Aliassime

19 Tomas Machac

20 Francisco Cerundolo

21 Ugo Humbert

22 Jakub Mensik

23 Sebastian Korda

24 Karen Khachanov

25 Alexei Popyrin

26 Jiri Lehecka

27 Hubert Hurkacz

28 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

29 Demis Shapovalov

30 Matteo Berrettini

31 Brandon Nakashima

32 Sebastian Baez

ROUND 2

Top Half of the Draw

1 Alexnder Zverev vs 28 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

20 Francisco Cerundolo vs Francisco Comesana

12 Ben Shelton vs 22 Jakub Mensik

7 Andrey Rublev vs Alexander Bublik

3 Taylor Fritz vs Benjamin Bonzi

14 Casper Ruud vs 23 Sabastian Korda

9 Danill Medvedev vs Juan Manual Cerendolo

31 Brandon Nakashima vs Flavio Cobolli

Bottom Half of the Draw

5 Jack Draper vs 30 Matteo Berrettini

11 Tommy Paul vs 24 Karen Khachanov

16 Francis Tiafoe vs Alexandre Muller

Matteo Arnaldi vs Dhamir Dzumhur

6 Alex de Minaur vs 29 Denis Shapovalov

10 Lorenzo Musetti vs 17 Stefanos Tsitsipas

15 Grigor Dimitrov vs Jacob Fearney

Cameron Norrie vs Gabriel Diallo

Apparently Alcaraz sustained an injury jand a scan was taken and willd etermine hether he wasould be ale to play in Madrid. I am not sure h ow Alcaraz being withdrawn would effect the above draw. A s foreseen Alcarz withdre rom this tournament today

There are wo youngsters desedrving wtching in the Madrid tournament and subsequently namely Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca. Mensik won in the Miami tournament - beating his long tome hero Djokovic in the fianal. - while the 17 yeasr ol won he Argentinian Open on clay this year Mensik did not play sinnce his win in Miami and is already seeded no 22 in this tournament and Fonseca will face Tommy Paul in Round 2 in Madrid. My money is on Fonseca beating the number 11 seeded Paul in that match. . ,

The acrual tinament started yesteday and will continue as Round 1 today. In Round 1 none of the 32 seeded players play and te fight is between unseeded players to get nto Round 2. In Round 2 all 32 seeded players play against nseeded playes who won in their Round 1 matches,

That does not mean that seeded playes cano lose in Round 2. As many as 8 seeded playes routinely lose their matches in Round 2 and in this tounament this is that is the case as well,

So far the Round 1 matches has beenc ompleted and the top playes that are set to lose their Round 2 matches iclude Rublev and Paul. Rublev normally beats himself in matches - the opposing playes will not need to do much in winning matches -Rublev will help them to win. Paul in Round 2 will play the 18 ear old Fonseca - the Brazil wiunderkid that si set to eb te Nadal of clay court players in future, I sa Fonseca played and wn the Argentine open earlier this year and he was top class. That guy is going to becom a Top 10 player within the next 6 months.

The Round 2 matches are played tomorrow and Saturday 0 woth the Round 3 matches being played on Sunday,

The acrual tinament started yesteday and will continue as Round 1 today. In Round 1 none of the 32 seeded players play and te fight is between unseeded players to get nto Round 2. In Round 2 all 32 seeded players play against nseeded playes who won in their Round 1 matches,

That does not mean that seeded playes cano lose in Round 2. As many as 8 seeded playes routinely lose their matches in Round 2 and in this tounament this is that is the case as well,

So far the Round 1 matches has beenc ompleted and the top playes that are set to lose their Round 2 matches iclude Rublev and Paul. Rublev normally beats himself in matches - the opposing playes will not need to do much in winning matches -Rublev will help them to win. Paul in Round 2 will play the 18 ear old Fonseca - the Brazil wiunderkid that si set to eb te Nadal of clay court players in future, I sa Fonseca played and wn the Argentine open earlier this year and he was top class. That guy is going to becom a Top 10 player within the next 6 months.

The Round 2 matches are played tomorrow and Saturday 0 woth the Round 3 matches being played on Sunday,

ROUND 3

Top Half of the Draw

1 Alexander Zverev vs 20 Francisco Cerundolo

22 Jakub Mensik vs Alexander Bublik

3 Taylor Fritz vs 14 Casper Ruud

9 Danill Medvedev vs 31 Brandon Nakashima

Bottom Half of the Draw

5 Jack Draper vs 11 Tommy Paul

16 Francis Tiafoe vs Matteo Arnaldi

6 Alex de Minaur vs 10 Lorenzo Musetti

15 Grigor Dimitrov vs Gabriel Diallo

In the second Round in the Top Half of the draw 5 of the 16 seeds were defeated or witjhdrew from the Tournament,

The Bottom of the Draw Round 2 matches will be playe tomorrow and I am sure that there are more seeds that will lose to unseeded players, As expected when I wrote on the issue before - Tommy Paul will play Joao Fonseca in Round 2. I wanted to put some mney on Mensik beating Shekton - but it urned out that Mensik's ofdds is favoured by the bookmakes to beat Shelton and the investment was not really profitable, The same applies to Fonseca.

The same applies to Zverev beating Davidovich Fokina, The players that did well in Monte Carllo and in Barcelna seems to be match-tired or carried injuries making them not playing in Madrid and likely Rome next week and they will probably rest in Rome as well with Rolland Garros just thee weeks away.

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My evaluation remains as to the matches to be played oday. The real prolem player will be Rublev - who somehow manage to defeat himself in matches Of the other seeded playes there is only one who may have a problem and thta is Shelton facing Mensik. I thought that the match between Paul and Fonseca would go the way of Fseca and it ws a near t hing - but I think Paul won his first and only match he would beat Fonseca in. The same applies to the Shelton-Mensik match today.

To my surprise Djokovic went out in the first match he played in in this tournament, His record thus far this year is not what one expect from a top ten player, I thnk he is not going to last much longer as a professional player. , .

QUARTERFINALS

Top Half of the Draw

20 Francisco Cerundolo vs 22 Jakub Mensik

9 Danill Medvedev vs 14 Casper Ruud

Bottom Half of the Draw

5 Jack Draper vs Matteo Arnaldi

10 Lorenzo Musetti vs Gabriel Diallo

So in Rounds 2 and 3 here aee 22 seeds out and the rost part is that in fact only 3 o he top ten seeded playe are going through to he Quaterfinals/

I think Mensik has a good chance of going through to the semi desit being the lowest seeded remaning player in this tournament., In any event if Mensik manage to win in this turnament he will be in the top 10 rankings as he would be the only player winning two ATP1000 tournaments thus far ths year and propellling him into the Top 10 ranked players,

Next week is the ATP 1000 Rome tournament - with Sinne coming back from his ban. However - D jokovic h as announced that he would not play in Rome and so did Alcaraz, The draw for he tournament will be on Monday and I will give it on site, The two withdrawals will not be the only withdrawals to be expected,

The collpase of the top 10 seeds in Madrid has left only Drper at 6 and Mededev at 9 and since Medvedev does not like clay courts Rudd could win his match against Medvedev.

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SEMIFINALS

5 Jack Draper vs 10 Lorenzo Musetti

14 Casper Ruud vs 20 Francisco Cerundolo

FINAL

5 Jack Draper vs 14 Casper Ruud

Tournament Winner - Casper Ruud

Congrats to a very nice player,