MADRID (AFP) – Holder Petra Kvitova blunted a late attack from France’s Kristina Mladenovic to advance,6-3, 7-6 (7/5), the third round of the Madrid Open on Monday.
The Czech second seed, chasing a fourth title on the Caja Magica clay, has now won her last five matches over qualifier Mladenovic in straight sets.
Kvitova took the opening set on a break and started the second set with another,
But Mladenovic broke back for 3-all and eventually forced the contest to a tiebreaker, which Kvitova captured.
Sloane Stephens beat former world number one Victoria Azarenka, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to equal her best showing at the event, defeating the two-time Australian Open winner for the fourth consecutive time.
Belarusian Azarenka committed nine double-faults in going down to the American eighth seed.
Former US Open winner Stephens also reached the third round here in 2014 and 2018.
Dutch seventh seed Kiki Bertens advanced past 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, 6-4, 6-3.
Last year’s losing Madrid finalist Bertens hammered 11 aces as she went through in 80 minutes, breaking Ostapenko four times.
In the men’s first round at the ATP-WTA pre-Roland Garros tune-up, Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov ended a five-match losing streak as he put out Spain’s Jaume Munar, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.
Khachanov earned his last win in mid-March at Indian Wells.
An indifferent season continued for 2017 ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov, with the Bulgarian falling to Taylor Fritz, 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/4).
