Madrid Open: Andy Murray downs Shapovalov to set blockbuster clash against Djokovic
May 04, 2022
Madrid [Spain], May 4 : Former World number one Andy Murray on Tuesday defeated Denis Shapovalov to reach the third round at the Madrid Open 2022.
With a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory over the Canadian in Madrid, Murray now for the first time has won consecutive matches since January in Sydney, where the 46-time tour-level titlist reached the final.
After good wins at the Caja Magica against former Top 10 players in Dominic Thiem and Shapovalov, it will not get any easier for Murray. Next up is a blockbuster showdown with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic -- their first meeting since the Doha final in 2017 -- for a place in the quarter-finals.
Earlier, the world's number one Novak Djokovic thrashed Gael Monfils. In what has proved a comfortable matchup for the Serb over the years, he snuffed out any chance of that with a 6-3, 6-2 victory to improve to 18-0 against the Frenchman.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz spent much of his opening match behind in the set score but still claimed a relatively routine victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili, 6-3, 7-5.
The 18-year-old, who turns 19 on Thursday, will next face the winner of ninth seed Cameron Norrie's Wednesday matchup against John Isner.
