Madrid: Caroline Garcia unwinds, Arthur Fils unscrews, Aryna Sabalenka goes through pain… What to remember from Friday’s matches
Before the return of Carlos Alcaraz during the day, the French were among the main names on the courts, Friday April 26, during the Madrid tournament. If Caroline Garcia qualified for her entry into the running, Arthur Fils did not convince, eliminated for his debut in the tournament.
No trap for Caroline Garcia. Opposed to the Chinese Wang Caroline Garcia won 6-1, 6-4 in 1h16. Impeccable in the first set, the number 21 seed of the tournament had to overcome a scare in the second set, losing his serve twice. Caroline Garcia showed herself to be mentally strong by immediately erasing these breaks against her, before making the difference at the right time, by taking her opponent’s faceoff at 4-4 in the second set.
She will face, in the third round of the WTA 1000, the Italian Jasmine Paolini, one of the best progressions on the WTA circuit in recent months and seeded number 12.
For his part, Arthur Fils was not reassured. Not at all even, against the German Daniel Altmaier, who had only won six of his seventeen matches this season. The 19-year-old Frenchman was swept 6-2, 6-3. Seeded No. 31 in Madrid, Arthur Fils played backwards almost the entire game, starting with his serve (57% first ball only, compared to 84% for Altmaier). Completely absent, particularly in the first round, the Frenchman committed seven double faults, including two in the final game of the first set and the point to give his opponent the advantage.
Qualified in the quarter-finals last week on clay at the Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo, then in Barcelona (ATP 500), after having already beaten Daniel Altmaier, then Alex De Minaur, Arthur Fils did not confirm his progress on the surface, Friday, with a view to Roland-Garros.
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