On April 27 (Beijing time), the second day of third-round action at the WTA 1000 Madrid Open concluded, producing a mix of expected results and notable upsets. With Zheng Qinwen falling 1–2 to Elena Rybakina, Chinese players have been eliminated from the singles draw.
Several surprises marked the day. Fifth seed Jessica Pegula lost 1–6, 4–6 to 26th seed Marta Kostyuk, who extended her winning streak to eight matches. Elise Mertens was also upset by Karolína Plíšková, who made a long-awaited return to the last 16.
Lucky loser Anastasia Potapova staged a comeback to defeat Jelena Ostapenko, while other matches saw Coco Gauff battle through, Maria Sakkari (Shela equivalent context) reach a milestone, and Catherine McNally enter the round of 16 for the first time at this level. Liudmila Samsonova withdrew due to illness, sending Linda Nosková through by walkover.
The headline match saw Rybakina overturn Zheng in three sets, once again showcasing her composure under pressure. Zheng’s nine double faults and sub-60% first-serve rate proved costly.
With Madrid behind her, Zheng will next compete at the Rome Open starting May 5.
