Mutua Madrid Open Match Preview
We will not get another Ostapenko-Swiatek collision in Madrid, thanks to Sevastova’s rather stunning win over the Stuttgart champ. As much as Jelena is a nemesis to Iga, Sevastova is to her fellow Latvian. She won the last six games on Thursday to defeat Ostapenko in the second round, 7-6 (2), 6-2, and improve her record over her compatriot to 3-0.
Even more remarkable are the circumstances, as TENNIS.com Matt Fitzgerald noted: the 35-year-old is in the early stages of a second comeback bid from maternity leave after an ACL injury that required surgery derailed her quest in March 2024.
Can this run possibly continue? The 13th-ranked Shnaider is 14 years younger than Sevastova, but has yet to win three matches at a tournament this season. Her play on clay in 2025 hasn’t been inspiring, but a 6-1, 6-2 first-round win over Katie Volynets showed just how much Madrid’s quicker courts can amplify Shnaider’s lethal game.
Sevastova will have nothing to lose, which could unnerve the emotive Shnaider. But I’m thinking it will ultimately bring out some of the best in Shnaider, that we’ve been waiting to see. Winner: Shnaider—Ed McGrogan
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