Each day this week, we'll preview and predict three must-see matches at the Madrid Open.
Simona Halep vs. Roberta Vinci
The second match in Court Manolo Santana could be intriguing. Halep leads Vinci 3-2 in their head to head, and has won both of their meetings on clay. But these two haven’t faced each other since 2013, and Vinci would seem to be the tricky, less-than-orthodox type of player who could make Halep doubt herself. Winner: Halep
Alexander Zverev vs. Fernando Verdasco
The 33-year-old Verdasco won his only previous match with Zverev back in 2015, when the German was 18. Zverev has obviously come a long way since then; all the way to No. 21 in the world, in fact, 15 spots ahead of the Spaniard. The question for this match is whether Zverev has come far enough that he can win a tournament on a Sunday—as he did in Munich—and bounce back quickly enough to beat a veteran player on his home court two days later. Winner: Verdasco
Dominic Thiem vs. Jared Donaldson
This may be primarily of interest to U.S. fans, as the 20-year-old Donaldson, a lucky loser in Madrid, puts his talents up against the 23-year-old Thiem’s. How does this young American compare to the ATP’s cream of the youthful crop on clay? We’ll find out here. Winner: Thiem