Name: Jan-Lennard Struff v Carlos Alcaraz Live 4/30/2024 @Tennis by motennis24
Duration: 9 s

Jan-Lennard Struff v Carlos Alcaraz Live 4/30/2024 Tennis.

The tournament has been held at La Caja Magica since 2009 – a modern tennis complex that has the capacity to hold over 17,000 spectators across its three clay courts.

A retractable roof features across all three stadiums to provide relief from the sun and unexpected weather – a guarantee that spectators will be treated to world-class tennis regardless of the conditions.

The Rolex Paris Masters is upon us, which means the season is wrapping up for a whole host of players on the ATP Tour. After this Masters 1000 tournament, there are only a pair of 250s on the schedule (Metz and Sofia) followed by the Nitto ATP Finals for the top eight.

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Instead, I’ll pick the unsung heroes of 2023 in the women’s section. Jelena Ostapenko deserves special praise for the way she has gone about her business this year.

Last week, she gave Jabeur a torrid time in Stuttgart losing narrowly in three. I expect the Latvian to power through the draw and have serious title aspirations at a tournament she has surprisingly fared poorly in the past.

Unlike Ostapenko, Paula Badosa has come close to making history on home soil. She reached the semifinal two years ago as a wild card entrant and has the athletic ability and stamina to succeed on the red clay. With back-to-back quarterfinals on clay, Badosa is one of the most in-form players coming to Madrid.

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With the qualifiers for the WTA 1000 Madrid Open scheduled to begin on Monday, April 24, players have made their way to Spain to compete at the tournament. Iga Swiatek leads the top half of the draw, setting up a possible quarterfinal encounter against Elena Rybakina. Sloane Stephens also features in the top half alongside Elina Svitolina, Jessica Pegula and Bianca Andreescu, among others.

The quartet of Jessica Pegula, Petra Kvitova, Maria Sakkari and Madison Keys, who entertained Aussie fans with some top-drawer tennis at the inaugural United Cup, have all landed in the same quarter of the draw for the Australian Open.

Kvitova, who opened her year with her 30th top-5 win over Pegula, will need to find her best tennis again — in the unfavorable humid conditions — if she wishes to come through her section as the American awaits her again in the last-16.

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More significant, Boynton said, is that on the heels of Paris is the ATP Finals for the top eight players. That’s even more prestigious than a Masters 1000. Three of those four times Federer bowed out of Paris, he played in the Finals; Nadal played the Finals four times after either skipping Paris or withdrawing mid-tournament because of injury.

There is no shortage of challengers though with Stefanos Tsitsipas looking like the second favorite after rediscovering his form in Barcelona. Tsitsipas and Alcaraz are due to face off in the Barcelona final at the time of writing. And there can be no doubt that a Tsitsipas win in that match could really spice things up in the next two weeks.

This year’s Madrid Open looks a little peculiar with two of the biggest draws in men’s tennis confirming their absence. That will mean defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will be the odds-on favorite to retain his title at the Caja Magica. In this article, we shall delve into the list of favorites, players to watch, and dark horses to win the second Masters 1000 on clay this season.

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Rafael Nadal's title defense will start off against talented Brit Jack Draper, who reached the quarterfinals of last year's Canadian Open. The Spaniard may not have it easy but should be able to get the win and advance to the second round, where he will face either Brandon Nakashima or Mackenzie McDonald.

Nadal should be able to beat either player and set up a third-round clash against 31st seed Yoshihito Nishioka, who produced some good performances during the second half of last season. The 36-year-old will most likely face Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round, but Karen Khachanov could be a possibility too.

In the men's draw, Cam Norrie will lead the British charge in this year’s Madrid Open. Having already clinched one title on clay this year in Rio, the British No.1 will be one to watch as he goes in pursuit of a second Masters 1000 title and edges closer to the ATP top 10.

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To be fair, Roberto Bautista-Agut has been going through a rough patch these past few weeks; he has lost three matches in a row, with six losses in his last seven matches.

However, Jiri Lehecka hasn’t particularly fared much better. The Czech player lost four of his last five matches, and three of those were in straight sets. Taking into account that Bautista-Agut won the only other encounter between these players, we believe he’ll do enough to take at least one set.

Andy Murray is also set for a return to the Spanish capital this year. The two-time champion has found success on Madrid’s red clay in the past, having beaten Gilles Simon in 2008 to lift the silverware, before overcoming five-time champion Rafael Nadal to claim a second crown in 2015.

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Several factors make Paris different, including that it’s the last big tournament of the year. “People are tired,” said Brad Gilbert, an ESPN analyst and former pro. “That brings a lot of unpredictability.”

Vedran Martic, Khachanov’s coach, noted that Khachanov was just 22 when he won, explaining that it’s easier for younger (and lower-ranked) players to find success after a long, grinding season. They have not been playing as deep into tournaments week after week as top-ranked players have, which gives them fresher legs. (Older players, he added, may also be more likely to have wives and children eager for their brief off-season to begin.)

Craig Boynton, who coaches the world No. 11, Hubert Hurkacz, said the court surface in Paris kept the ball from bouncing high, making it tougher for players to set up shots and win quick points. “That is taxing mentally and on the legs,” he said, emphasizing that the fatigue factor in Paris is typically more mental than physical.

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“Attitude is most important at this time,” Boynton said. “In the locker room, people say, ‘Who’s crispy?’, meaning ‘Who’s burned out?’” Guys can get to Paris super crispy thinking about their vacation and want to get it over with and move on.”

Last year, Dan Evans helped create British history at the tournament – joining Norrie and Murray to mark the first ever ATP Masters 1000 event on clay where Great Britain had three players in the third round. The British No.2 will be seeking a lengthy run in Madrid, following a first round exit at the previous Masters event in Monte Carlo earlier this month.

Kyle Edmund completes the British main draw line-up, while Jack Draper has had to withdraw from the event.

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Tiafoe beat Nadal in the fourth round of the US Open, but the Spaniard looks in better shape now and will be expected to become increasingly formidable as the Australian Open progresses. He should be able to get the better of the American and reach the quarterfinals.

Two-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev, meanwhile, seems the most obvious choice for the last eight spot from the other half of this quarter. The Russian should have little trouble reaching the third round, where he could face 29th seed Sebastian Korda, who recently gave Novak Djokovic a run for his money in Adelaide.

This will be the sixth encounter between these players, excluding walkovers. Interestingly, their previous clashes have not been very pleasant for Andy Murray. The former World number 1 is currently 0 for 5 vs de Minaur, with three of those losses taking place this year.

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The 2019 Australian Open finalist has looked strong in the few matches that she has played in 2023 so far and could use tricky match-ups against Alison van Uytvanck and fellow Major winner Barbora Krejcikova to test her mettle early.

For Pegula, the equation looks much simpler as she is projected to square off against Amanda Anisimova — another big ball striker — in the third round.

Madison Keys, who lost to eventual champion Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals at last year's Australian Open, finds herself in a comfortable spot in the draw. She opens against Anna Blinkova and only needs to be wary of a resurgent Viktoria Azarenka early — the Belarussian is a two-time winner in Melbourne and could well push the American to the brink.

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One of Iga Swiatek's biggest losses in 2022 came at the hands of big-hitting American Danielle Collins in the semifinals in Melbourne. Twelve months on, the new World No. 1 will have a chance to avenge the defeat.

If Swiatek can maneuver past the likes of Jule Niemeier, Bianca Andreescu and Marie Bouzkova early, she may well run into Collins in the fourth round. The American has an easy early couple of rounds but will expect some stiff resistance from reigning Wilmington champ Elena Rybakina in the third round.

Both Rybakina and Collins play an aggressive brand of tennis tailor-made for quick hardcourts. If they find their footing in Melbourne, they could turn the script on Swiatek's plans for a maiden Australian Open title.

Jan-Lennard Struff v Carlos Alcaraz Live 4/30/2024 @Tennis

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