Top seed Carlos Alcaraz survived a huge scare against Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori as his defence of the Madrid Open title began with a hard-fought comeback win.<\/span><\/p>\n Spain’s Alcaraz, who turns 20 next week, overcame a slow start to win 2-6 6-4 6-2 against the world number 41.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n There were fewer concerns for women’s top seed Iga Swiatek, who won 6-3 6-2 against Austria’s Julia Grabher.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina suffered a surprise defeat to Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya.<\/span><\/p>\n The Madrid Open is one of the most prestigious tournaments outside of the Grand Slams and an important clay-court event in the build-up to the French Open, which starts on 28 May.<\/span><\/p>\n Alcaraz is the favourite to win the ATP Masters 1000 event with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal absent because of injury.<\/span><\/p>\n The world number two defended the Barcelona title last week without dropping a set, but on his return to the Spanish capital initially lacked clarity and assurance in his shots.<\/span><\/p>\n Ruusuvuori dominated his service games in the first set, winning 100% of first service points and dropping just two on his second serve.<\/span><\/p>\n But the contest swung back in Alcaraz’s favour after he saved five break points to stop his opponent moving 4-2 ahead in the second set.<\/span><\/p>\n “It was really tough, I was about to lose. He was just one point away at 3-2 in the second set – it was like a match point for him,” US Open champion Alcaraz said.<\/span><\/p>\n “Emil was better than me until 3-3 in the second set. It was tough to come back but I finished with a lot of confidence.”<\/span><\/p>\n Alcaraz will play Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov next after the 26th seed won 7-6 ( 8-6) 7-6 (7-2) against France’s Gregoire Barrere in his second-round match.<\/span><\/p>\n Russian fifth seed <\/span>Andrey Rublev<\/strong> moved into the last 32 with a 6-2 6-4 success against Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka, but the struggles of Norway’s Casper Ruud – seeded third – continued with a 6-3 6-4 defeat by Italian qualifier <\/span>Matteo Arnaldi.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ruud, who reached the French Open and US Open finals last year, has only won back-to-back matches at one tournament this year – when he won the Estoril title.<\/span><\/p>\n In the WTA event, Poland’s world number one Swiatek breezed through her opening match as she extended her recent clay-court record to 23 wins from her past 24 matches on the surface.<\/span><\/p>\n Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, seeded seventh, lifted the Indian Wells title and reached the Miami final, but has won one of her opening three matches on the European clay after being beaten 7-5 4-6 6-2 by world number 60 Kalinskaya.<\/span><\/p>\n American third seed <\/span>Jessica Pegula<\/strong> reached the third round by beating Poland’s Magdalena Frech, while 22-year-old American <\/span>Alycia Parks<\/strong> shocked Belarusian two-time finalist Victoria Azarenka in a straight-set win.<\/span><\/p>\n Britain’s former world number one <\/span>Andy Murray<\/strong> has been granted a wildcard into next week’s clay-court ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence.<\/span><\/p>\n Murray, 35, lost to Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori <\/span>in the Madrid first round<\/span><\/a> on Thursday and needs matches on the clay to prepare for the French Open, which starts on 28 May.<\/span><\/p>\n An all-British match saw <\/span>Heather Watson<\/strong> beat <\/span>Harriet Dart<\/strong> 3-6 6-4 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of an ITF event – the level below the main WTA Tour – in Corsica.<\/span><\/p>\nAlcaraz fights back after being ‘about to lose’<\/h3>\n
What else has happened in Madrid?<\/h3>\n
Murray to play clay-court Challenger<\/h3>\n
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