Day 3 of the Mutua Madrid Open delivered on its promise, with several significant results across the courts of the Caja Mágica. On both the men's and women's sides, the draw is starting to take shape.
Lorenzo Musetti produced a convincing performance to dispatch Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6(4). The Italian rediscovered the touch and consistency that make him a formidable clay-court operator. In the first set, Musetti broke the Pole's serve at the perfect moment to cruise to a controlled 6-4. The second set proved tighter, but the Florentine never lost the thread, converting his chances in a tiebreak he dominated 7-4. He will face Tallon Griekspoor in the third round.
On the WTA side, Elena Rybakina confirmed her favorite status with a solid win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse. The world No. 2, fresh off her Stuttgart title, never allowed the Romanian to settle into rallies. Her devastating serve and raw power made the difference from the start. Rybakina extends her winning streak and looks primed for a deep run in the Spanish capital.
The thunderbolt of the day came from Arantxa Sánchez stadium, where Dino Prizmic ousted fourth seed Ben Shelton 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 after three hours of battle. The 20-year-old Croatian qualifier recorded the first top-10 win of his career, having already eliminated Berrettini in the previous round.
Top seed opened his campaign against qualifier Benjamin Bonzi in the afternoon session on Manolo Santana, continuing his pursuit of a record fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title. In the night session, local hero headlined against fifth seed Alex de Minaur.
