Emma Raducanu to face qualifier or lucky loser in Madrid Open first round as Karolina Pliskova pulls out | Tennis News

Emma Raducanu will play a qualifier or fortunate loser within the first spherical of the Madrid Open on Wednesday after two-time Grand Slam finalist and former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova pulled out of their scheduled opener.

Raducanu received 4 matches in a row on clay final week, with two victories whereas representing Nice Britain towards France on the Billie Jean King Cup adopted by triumphs over Angelique Kerber and Linda Noskova on the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.

The Briton was knocked out within the quarter-finals in Stuttgart after a gutsy defeat to world No 1 Iga Swiatek.

The 2021 US Open champion will now return to the courtroom within the Spanish capital, reside on Sky Sports activities, towards an as-yet-unknown opponent after Pliskova’s determination to withdraw from the event.

Ought to Raducanu win her opening match, she is going to face seventeenth seed Veronika Kudermetova in spherical two.

Boulter on collision course with defending champion Sabalenka?

Fellow Brit Katie Boulter has been given a first-round bye as she is the twenty sixth seed and can meet the winner of the match between American wild card Robin Montgomery and Russia’s Elina Avanesyan.

Boulter will play second seed Aryna Sabalenka if each gamers make it to the third spherical in Madrid.

Sabalenka has received the Madrid Open in two of the final three years, defeating Swiatek within the 2023 ultimate and the now-retired Ashleigh Barty in 2021.

Nonetheless, the Belarusian has not handed the quarter-finals in any occasion since profitable the Australian Open in January.

Elena Rybakina received the title in Stuttgart final week, beating Swiatek within the semi-finals after which Marta Kostyuk within the ultimate, as she claimed her third title of the yr after wins in Brisbane in January and Abu Dhabi in February.

Rybakina will meet both Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti or a qualifier within the second spherical.

Nadal might face De Minaur once more

Within the males’s draw, Rafael Nadal was drawn towards American wild card Darwin Blanch and will he win that match, he’ll face Alex de Minaur for the second event working.

Nadal misplaced to De Minaur in straight units as he made his tennis comeback on the Barcelona Open final week.

British No 1 Cameron Norrie will get a bye to the second spherical as he is seeded twenty ninth, whereas Dan Evans and Jack Draper will face qualifiers.

Carlos Alcaraz is again after a month away from tennis and is seeded second, whereas Jannik Sinner is the highest seed.

Upcoming tennis reside on Sky Sports activities

Within the run-up to the second Grand Slam of 2024 – the French Open at Roland-Garros from Might 26 – you’ll be able to watch all the largest tennis stars in motion reside on Sky Sports activities as they compete throughout the clay-court season…

• Madrid Open (ATP and WTA Masters 1000) – Tuesday April 22-Sunday Might 5
• Italian Open (ATP and WTA Masters 1000) – Tuesday Might 7-Sunday Might 19
• Geneva Open (ATP 250) – Monday Might 20-Sunday Might 26
• Lyon Open (ATP 250) – Monday Might 20-Sunday Might 26
• Internationaux de Strasbourg (WTA 500) – Monday Might 20-Sunday Might 26
• Morocco Open (WTA 250) – Monday Might 20-Sunday Might 26

The best way to watch play on Sky Sports activities Tennis

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