May 01, (THEWILL) – Carlos Alcaraz, the world number two and defending champion, progressed to the last 16 of the Madrid Open on Sunday.
Alcaraz defeated Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in straight sets in the third round, making only four unforced errors. Although Dimitrov briefly took the lead in the second set, it was short-lived as Alcaraz cruised to victory in just 90 minutes. This was his 25th win of the year and his 15th on clay.
In the round 16 stage, he will face Alexander Zverev, his German rival that handed him a heart-wrenching defeat at Roland Garros in 2022. It is clear that vengeance will be on the cards and the clay for the Spanish tennis sensation.
Zverev, who has won the Madrid Open twice before, dispatched Hugo Grenier of France in just 56 minutes with six breaks of serve and 26 winners. The stage is now set for an exciting clash between Alcaraz and Zverev, with the former, the younger challenger, looking to prove himself against the older but in-form German.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
