Madrid Open ATP Day Seven Round-up | Sinner and Zverev power through, Musetti and Medvedev out while Ruud survives match points against Tsitsipas

The quarterfinals lineup has been set in stone in the Madrid Open. Most notably the world number one will be involved. Jannik Sinner had no problem confirming a 25th consecutive Masters 1000 win and 20th of this season to down Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-5 in a first ever meeting between the pair.

It was not Sinner’s finest start to a contest. In fact, Norrie got out the much quicker in the first game, winning it before it had seemingly started. However, the Italian soon got in his stride, winning five games in a row despite looking lethargic on court. Norrie managed to close the deficit with a hold, but the gap was way too large and Sinner had no problem in seeing it out.

The second set was much closer throughout. It has seemed that the four-time Grand Slam champion had put one foot in the quarterfinal lineup but was pegged back instantly by Norrie with an eye-catching hold to love. Sinner eventually managed to break once more, going 6-5 ahead and clearly denting any chance the British number one had of pulling off an unlikely result. Sinner served it out and is one step closer to making more history.

While Sinner continues on his merry way, other players had a trickier time of it. None more than the reigning champion Casper Ruud who battled hard against a rejuvenated Stefanos Tsitsipas, saving two match points and coming back from a 5-3 deficit in the third set to win 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 7-6(3).

In the first set, Ruud dropped just three points on serve in the six service games. Upon the tiebreak, he failed to replicate that form. Tsitsipas got the better of the Norwegian at an important time to take an unlikely lead.

The two-time Grand Slam finalist had won more games in that set them Jaume Munar and Ajejandro Davidovich Fokina had managed combined against Ruud in the prior rounds. The pair continued to stay strong on serve with another tiebreak inevitable. Ruud stormed clear and forced a deserving decider.

After a botched forehand which went into the net on break point, Ruud was then broken in turn by the 2019 finalist. Tsitsipas has experienced a fall from grace which now leaves him outside the top 80 in the world. He will rise thanks to this run, and it seemed by a significant number of positions. He created two match points after previously saving six break points in a single game. However, Ruud forced him to serve it out before, in the nick of time, breaking back with his 12th break point in the match. Another tiebreak was in store, and ultimately Ruud prevailed in an absolute thriller.

World number three Alexander Zverev enters this tournament as the number two seed thanks to Carlos Alcaraz being injured. He is making the most of this, defeating Jakub Mensik 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3 to cement his spot in another Masters 1000 quarterfinal.

The first set was settled on serve. That was with exception of the first set in which Zverev got that all-important break. Aside from a late surge by the former Miami Open champion, Zverev seemed pretty comfortable as he went on to grab the first set.

He was edging closer to a fifth consecutive last-eight appearance at this level but would need to somehow find a way past the huge Mensik serve to complete that. Since the opening break, 21 holds had been completed leading to a second set tiebreak. Mensik would keep the tie ticking after a positive showing in the tiebreak forced a third set to be completed.

The breaks finally came in the third set. Consecutive games were won against the serve after Zverev retrieved back the break deficit he once was in. The German then broke the deadlock once more but at a crucial time, putting him in a position where he was serving for the set. He got over the line and defeats Mensik in their first showdown against each other.

Flavio Cobolli has broken new ground in Madrid. Not only defeating Daniil Medvedev for the first time 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, but he will play in a Masters 1000 quarterfinal for the very first time.

It was the 23-year-old who reaped the rewards in the first set thanks to a singe break of serve. Medvedev blew his chances late on as Cobolli secured a healthy advantage with his third set point. Despite this, back came Medvedev. He had recovered well from that 6-0, 6-0 defeat against Matteo Berrettini in the Monte-Carlo Masters, securing his first clay wins of 2026 in Madrid.

He broke back as Cobolli possibly started thinking about the finishing line. It was his turn to strike late, forcing a highly anticipated decider. The former world number one could not keep up with the rampant Italian late on. Cobolli won 12 of the final 13 points to conclude an epic match and a brilliant victory.

While Sinner and Cobolli gave the Italian contingent something to cheer about, the same could not be said for Lorenzo Musetti. Last year a semi-finalist, this year exiting at the last-16 stage. Musetti has failed to hit the skyrocketing heights of last year’s clay swing, losing 6-3, 6-3 to an inform Jiri Lehecka.

The Miami Open finalist had previously reached the semi-finals of this event back in 2024, showcasing his fondness for the tournament. The momentum firmly swinged in his favour after breaking the serve enroute to a 3-1 lead. Musetti would not go down without a fight, but it would be weak blows inflicted on Lehecka after failing to take three break points on the spin. A game later, the Czech showed him how it was done and was a set to the good.

Musetti created another chance to break in the second set but again lacked the clinical edge normally seen in his game. Lehecka did not have that problem. He dropped just two points in the final three games, concluding another noteworthy showing.

Arthur Fils is yet to lose on clay this year, enjoying his expedition to Spain. After triumphing in Barcelona, he got another win on the board, defeating Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-4 to confirm a sixth Masters 1000 quarterfinal.

The 21-year-old struck late in the first set, putting in a three-game burst which left the Argentine floundering. He made it five on the spin thanks to an early break in the second set. As the set draw to a conclusion, Fils was in danger of letting his advantage evaporate into thin air. He salvaged a 0-40 deficit before serving it out expertly to love.

While it is becoming the norm to see Fils deep in these big tournaments, it is completely knew to 19-year-old Rafael Jodar. The Spanish sensation has set up a dream tie against world number one Sinner in Madrid after getting the better of Vit Kopriva 7-5, 6-0.

It was a tight opening set with the crowd showing their allegiances with their new starboy. It was, nevertheless, Kopriva who looked the more likely to edge ahead. He failed to convert a brace of break points, and inevitably Jodar struck. At 5-5, he turned on the afterburners. A break to love secured the first set before racing clear. He dropped just 11 points in the set, offering his opponent nothing the other way as he completed a famous victory on home soil. While his next challenge is a daunting one, he will be ready for what could possibly be another magnificent outing.

Another new name in recent times has confirmed his presence with a bang. Alexander Blockx had made consecutive Masters 1000 last-16 appearances, but after defeating Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(8), 6-2, he had blasted his way into a maiden quarterfinal at this level.

The match would be dominated by a plethora of missed chances by the Argentine, but in fact it was Blockx failing to convert break points on offer leading up to the end of the set. As the 21-year-old looked to force a tiebreak, he was firmly on the back foot with Cerundolo creating in total three set points, four including the one in the tiebreak. He will not sleep well tonight thinking about those missed chances as Blockx took the third opportunity in the tiebreak to sail into a one set lead.

Soon enough, it was one set and one break. He managed to extend it to 3-0 but only because Cerundolo failed to take five break points. There would be no more chances for him to pounce on as Blockx punished him severely, breaking himself with his first match point to break new ground in terrific fashion.