Elena Rybakina claims shaky win in Madrid

MADRID – In the battle of the two “Elenas” on Friday, Elena Rybakina was expected to beat the less-heralded Elena-Gabriela Ruse easily in her Madrid Open opener.

Instead, the Australian Open champion was made to suffer before winning 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a second-round match that lasted 2hr 30min.

Big-hitting Kazakh star Rybakina was her unusual self as she managed only three aces – Ruse had two.

At one point, she was even down 3-1 in the third set and seemingly set to crash out. However, her fighting spirit got her over the line.

Rybakina came to the Spanish capital on the back of winning the Stuttgart title last week, and it could just be a one-off that she did not play well.

She has now won 37 of her last 42 matches and the statistics show she is tough to beat even on her bad day.

“It was a very difficult match. Today I basically survived,” Rybakina admitted on court.

“It wasn’t my greatest performance but Gabriela played really well. She was playing very deep, aggressive. It was very difficult. My serve wasn’t really helping me today. I think I served only the last four games proper service games. The rest was a struggle.

“I’m really happy I managed to win. Hopefully I can bring better tennis next round.”

In men’s tennis, Casper Ruud said he hoped his short training stint at Rafa Nadal’s academy in Mallorca would reignite his season as the 27-year-old returns from an injury to defend his Madrid Open title.

Ruud, who lifted his maiden Masters 1000 title in the Spanish capital last year, suffered a leg injury and retired from his third-round match at the Monte Carlo Masters against Felix Auger-Aliassime earlier in April.

He then ramped up his comeback under the close watch of 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal.

“I’m happy to say I’m fully recovered,” the Norwegian said.

“I was a bit worried at first, but I’ve had good days of recovery. I spent a week in Mallorca, training at Rafa’s academy and working on fitness off the court. I’m really pleased to be here, ready to compete again.”

Ruud added that he was inspired by the now-retired Nadal’s determination during a glittering playing career that came to an end in 2024.

“He never gave up, and he was able to win many matches without being at his best because he was so well prepared physically and mentally,” he said.

“There are so many things you can learn from Rafa. This time, we didn’t spend much time together on court. He encouraged me to keep going and told me I have plenty to fight for in the coming weeks.”

Ruud begins his Madrid campaign against Jaume Munar in the second round on Saturday. REUTERS