Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos were sharpest when it mattered most on Thursday at the Mutua Madrid Open, winning a first-set tie-break and a Match Tie-break to get off to a winning start at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

The Spanish-Argentine duo moved past the all-Spanish duo of Pablo Carreno Busta and Pedro Martinez, 7-6(8), 2-6, 10-5.

After leading by an early break and missing out on three set points on the return at 5-4 in the opening set, Granollers and Zeballos won an extended tie-break in which they saved a pair of set points themselves. They secured the set on their second set point of the tie-break and fifth of the stanza.

After dropping the second set by a double break, the second seeds took command of the Match Tie-break by winning four straight points from 5/4, ultimately sealing the victory on their second match point.

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They advance to face fifth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in Friday’s quarter-finals. The Colombians were walkover winners against Felix Auger-Aliassime and Grigor Dimitrov.

The two other doubles matches contested on Thursday both produced upsets. Two-time Roland Garros champions Andreas Mies and Kevin Krawietz of Germany dismissed top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, 6-4, 6-4, while Simone Bolelli and Ivan Dodig edged third seeds Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic, 7-5, 3-6, 10-6.

All four men’s doubles quarter-finals are set for Friday in Madrid.

Carlos Alcaraz was gifted nothing by Cameron Norrie on Thursday at the Mutua Madrid Open. But the Spaniard, playing in front of his home fans on his 19th birthday, kept the party going with a hard-fought 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3 victory in Manolo Santana Stadium. 

The win sets up an all-Spanish quarter-final showdown against Rafael Nadal and lifts Alcaraz to No. 7 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. He will rise to No. 6 on Friday if he beats Nadal and Andrey Rublev falls to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The ninth-seeded Norrie fought him close throughout, breaking serve once in each of the first two sets and creating four break chances in the third, but was never able to edge in front in the match score.

Following the victory, the birthday boy was serenaded by the Spanish crowd on centre court and enjoyed a special presentation complete with a birthday cake and sparklers. But his favourite present must be the one he earned himself — that meeting with Nadal on Friday.

“I lost twice against him and I wanted to play against him the third time,” Alcaraz said of the marquee matchup. “I think it’s going to be different from last year [in Madrid] and the last match that we played [in Indian Wells]. I’m excited to play against Rafa here in Madrid in front of the Spanish crowd. It’s going to be a great day and a great match.”

Asked how he can earn his first ATP Head2Head win against his countryman, a respectful Alcaraz exuded a quiet confidence: “Honestly, I don’t know. I always say that he has 1,000 lives. He dies and he survives, in every tough match for him,” Alcaraz said after watching Nadal save four match points to advance to the quarter-finals. “I think if I play a pretty good game, I’ll have chances to win.”

Alcaraz was at No. 120 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings when he met Nadal for the first time one year ago, but enters their latest matchup as the newest member of the Top 10 and as a Masters 1000 champion with a 25-3 tour-level record on the season.

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In his third-round match against Norrie, a pair of breaks ended the opening set as Alcaraz broke back immediately after failing to serve out the stanza. Norrie got the first break in set two, but could not consolidate. Instead, he forced a decider by winning five of the last six points to take the tie-break by a single mini-break.

Again, Alcaraz produced a strong response by breaking serve to open the third, using a sensational stab volley to bring up triple break point. 

Norrie threatened to level once again with Alcaraz serving at 3-2, but the Spaniard took a major step towards victory by winning five straight points to escape 0/40. Alcaraz also saved a break point in his prior service game, and later fought through 30-all at 4-3. He avoided the stress of serving out the contest by securing his fifth break to close out the match. 

“It has been a really tough match, a tough opponent,” Alcaraz assessed. “I knew that I had to play really good. I’m really happy with the performance today and very focussed on the next round.”

Alcaraz will be competing in his third ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final, having denied Norrie his third appearance at the same stage. All three of those runs for the Spaniard have come in 2022 (Indian Wells semi-finals, Miami title).

Rafael Nadal might need time to find his best form after missing six weeks due to a stress fracture in his ribs. But on Thursday at the Mutua Madrid Open, the Spaniard showed his competitive spirit is as strong as ever.

The third seed saved four match points before clawing past David Goffin in a final-set tie-break. Nadal embraced the adversity, and was rewarded.

“At the end of the day you’re suffering in the match. I always said it many, many times. You have to learn how to live with these kind of moments, and also to enjoy this kind of suffering,” Nadal said. “It’s what we work for, for thrilling moments.”

Nadal was on the verge of a straight-sets victory against the Belgian before the match got complicated. Instead of walking out of Manolo Santana Stadium with a relatively stress-free triumph, the Spaniard needed to battle for three hours and 10 minutes to advance.

“I didn’t have a lot of preparation, and we have to see how I’m able to wake up tomorrow after practically two months without any preparation,” Nadal said. “We have to be ready tomorrow, being ready to accept that tomorrow things may not be easy. But I am happy with the victory. [It] gives me an opportunity to play another day.”

Since arriving in Madrid, Nadal has made clear that he has not been able to work much on his game during his time away. With that has come the understanding that he will not immediately be at his very best. He revealed a few key hurdles to overcome.

“Mobility, stability in terms of [my] game, and of course adapting the body again. It’s not the same coming back from injuries when you are 20 or 19 [compared to] when you are almost 36,” Nadal said. “When you get injured, of course first thing is [to] recover [from] your injury, but then to put the machine [on] again.

“Working is not that easy, because when you start again, you have pains, pains in different places, so you need to manage them. You need to manage the way that you practise, the amount of work that you can or you can’t do.”

It helped to have screaming fans at the Caja Magica urging Nadal on after every point. The lefty rarely — if ever — needs extra motivation, but the Spanish crowd helped push him over the line.

“10,000, 12,000 people, they have a key impact in the decisive moments, because they always give you that extra punch. In those moments, you try to seek your final goal. In that regard, they are always there,” Nadal said. “Sometimes I have let them down maybe, but where I’m not going to let them down is I’m trying. I’m always going to try as hard as possible.”

Next up for Nadal will be countryman Carlos Alcaraz in a blockbuster showdown or Briton Cameron Norrie. No matter who stands across the net, the 36-time ATP Masters 1000 champion is ready to give his home fans another thrill.

“I really appreciate being here, playing in front of my people, even though things are not perfect [with my] tennis,” said Nadal, who is No. 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. “The match was there on the line… I enjoy playing in front of my people, seeing the support that I receive. For me, it’s a present at this age to have the opportunity to continue competing and competing well, especially here at home.”

Felix Auger-Aliassime arrived in Madrid searching for clay-court form. On Thursday, the Canadian showed he has found it.

The eighth seed defeated 10th seed Jannik Sinner 6-1, 6-2 in just 80 minutes to reach the quarter-finals of the Mutua Madrid Open. It was the first ATP Head2Head clash between the two ascending stars. The win lifted the Canadian to No. 9 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

“Me playing really well and him missing a few more balls than he should on top of that, I think it just created a big difference,” Auger-Aliassime said.

Auger-Aliassime has lost just six games against two tough opponents in Sinner and clay-court stalwart Cristian Garin (6-3, 6-0). He will next play second seed Alexander Zverev for a place in his first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.

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Sinner, one of the most powerful ball-strikers on Tour, controls play against nearly all his opponents. But Auger-Aliassime dominated on serve, winning 90 per cent of his first-serve points and going through all eight of his service games without facing a break point.

According to Tennis Data Innovations, Auger-Aliassime converted 83 per cent of the points in which he was in an offensive position. And when Sinner did find himself on offence, the Canadian showed good defensive skills and “stole” 52 per cent of those points. The ATP Tour average for conversion rate on clay is 65 per cent.

The match’s Balance of Power shows that Auger-Aliassime was on offence 27 per cent of the time compared to just 20 per cent for Sinner (Learn more about Balance of Power and Conversion & Steal scores).

Match Insights:

The 21-year-old’s next opponent, Zverev, is into a fifth consecutive quarter-final at the Caja Magica after Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire from the pair’s third-round clash at the ATP Masters 1000 event on Thursday.

Defending champion Zverev led 6-3, 1-0 in what had been a high-quality first ATP Head2Head meeting between the two when a thigh injury to 20-year-old Musetti intervened in Arantxa Sanchez Stadium.

The World No. 3 led the #NextGenATP Italian after converting the only two break points of the first set in the seventh and ninth games. Zverev now holds a 17-2 record in Madrid, where the fast conditions suit his big-serving and high-powered game. Although the German had to dig deep in his three-set win over former World No. 3 Marin Cilic in the second round, second-seeded Zverev looked in impressive touch against Musetti and will eye another deep run in the Spanish capital as he hunts a sixth Masters 1000 crown.

Zverev’s opponent in his 23rd Masters 1000 quarter-final will be eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or 10th seed Jannik Sinner.

Rafael Nadal once again showcased his legendary fighting spirit to bounce back from the brink of both victory and defeat Thursday at the Mutua Madrid Open. After David Goffin saved two match points in the second set, Nadal erased four for his opponent in a decisive tie-break to advance by the finest of margins, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(9), in three hours and nine minutes.

One night after he was in the stands for Real Madrid’s great escape in the Champions League semi-finals, Nadal performed his own bit of magic at the Caja Magica. It has been a 24 hours to remember for Spanish supporters, with the 35-year-old home favourite getting the Manolo Santana Stadium rocking like Madrid’s Santago Bernabeu Stadium, sending fans from stunned silence to delirium in a matter of moments.

“It was an unforgettable night. The spirit that the Real Madrid team has is just incredible,” Nadal said after his victory. “For me today, in some ways it has been an inspiration in the way I have been fighting all my tennis career.

“Honestly, it was a very tough match. I think I played at a very high level. But at the same time I am not completely happy because I have to finish the match in straight sets, without a doubt.”

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Nadal saved two of Goffin’s four match points with drop shots, and a third when the Belgian netted a short forehand from an attacking position. By winning the decider, Nadal extended his perfect Madrid tie-break record to 10-0 since the event moved to clay in 2009. He also prevented Goffin from becoming the fourth man to beat him from match point down on clay, with the last instance coming in Buenos Aires in 2016 against Dominic Thiem.

“Three hours and 10 [minutes] on court, that helps to increase my physical performance,” Nadal added. “A very important victory, saving match points. That’s confidence, that gives me the chance to keep going. I need matches and I need a day like to day to be fitter sooner.”

After coming through a rocky opening set, Nadal redlined early in the second and looked on course for a straightforward victory in Manolo Santana Stadium. But as the Spaniard’s game dipped slightly at closing time, Goffin played some of his best tennis of the match to extend the contest, winning four straight games from 3-5.

The tense final set seemed destined for a tie-break, and the drama only increased in a frantic finish. Nadal was left standing when Goffin went wide on the Spaniard’s fourth match point — and second of the tie-break.

More than three hours earlier, Nadal took the court seeking a record-tying 37th ATP Masters 1000 title but quickly found himself down an early break in Manolo Santana Stadium. But from 2-3, he managed to win the final four games of the opening set in spite of some uncharacteristic errors.

Nadal took command of the match with a pristine eight-point stretch to start set two. After Goffin battled through deuce to hold in the opening game, Nadal found a new level to hold then break at love. The Spaniard began to attack with more pop and precision on his groundstrokes, firing winners off both wings as he began is ascent. The first real signal of intent came on a lasered down-the-line backhand which helped him get on the board in the stanza.

The third seed was cruising on serve in the second until three loose errors gave Goffin a look at 4-5. The Belgian took full advantage to force a decider, but could not get over the line against Nadal, who advanced to a record-extending 99th ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final and a 16th in Madrid. 

Nadal has now done his part to set up an all-Spanish quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz, who will follow him on the stadium court against ninth seed Cameron Norrie. Nadal beat his countryman in the Madrid second round last year before making it 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head with a three-set win in the Indian Wells semi-finals.

Nadal is also undefeated against Norrie at 4-0, including a straight-sets win in the Acapulco final in February.

ATP has announced Pepperstone, the award-winning Melbourne-based FX and CFD broker, as the global naming partner of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and Official Online Trading Partner of the ATP Tour.

The agreement sees Pepperstone join the Tour as Platinum Partner with a global on-site presence at 11 events across the ATP Tour season, culminating at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. Pepperstone will also receive year-round promotion via ATP’s social, digital and broadcast channels, delivering worldwide exposure to the brand and its innovative trading products.

The partnership kicks off today with the launch of a brand-new product — the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings — a dynamic new feature enabling fans, players and media to track the real-time rankings and impact of match results day-to-day. The partnership launches ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 2023.

First launched in August 1973, the Pepperstone ATP Rankings serve as a true measure of excellence and the official mechanism determining player standings, tournament entries and seedings in men’s professional tennis. A key barometer for player records and milestones, the Pepperstone ATP Rankings also provide a narrative that connects every level of the men’s professional game throughout the season.

In addition to the Rankings, Pepperstone also becomes the naming partner of the season-long Race To Turin, Race To Milan, the ATP Cup Standings, as well as presenting partner of the official year-end No.1 ceremonies in singles and doubles.

Massimo Calvelli, ATP CEO, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Pepperstone to our family of global partners and to celebrate the moment with the launch of the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. In line with Pepperstone’s award-winning customer service, the ATP is always looking for new ways to improve the experience of our millions of fans around the world, and the launch of the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings is a landmark moment that will help elevate our storytelling and create new opportunities to engage with the ATP Tour every day of the season.”

Tamas Szabo, Pepperstone Group CEO, said: “We are tremendously excited to enter into this ground-breaking partnership, becoming the first and Official Online Trading Partner of the ATP Tour. Tennis and trading have a few things in common – preparation, access to information, experience and ultimately the right decision at critical moments.

“ATP Tour’s global footprint and enormous following will enable us to bring the world’s financial markets to astute, adventurous traders around the world, driving our vision to create a better way to trade.”

Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings will link match-by-match results to projected positional moves in the traditional Pepperstone ATP Rankings, immediately contextualising what a big victory – or defeat – means to a player’s standing relative to his rivals.

Updated following the completion of each match, Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings reflect real-time points added and dropped by players, who will dynamically rise and fall based on their most recent result. Fans and media will no longer have to wait until the weekly Pepperstone ATP Rankings are run to understand the impact of matches won and lost.

Pepperstone ATP Rankings will continue to be used for tournament entry and seedings and to recognise achievements and milestones with historical context. For example, a player must spend at least one week at No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings to be considered a World No. 1.

The introduction of the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings marks the most significant addition to the ATP’s Rankings properties since the 2000 introduction of the calendar-year Race, helping track players’ journeys to qualify for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals. It comes as part of a wider push to enhance functionality of the ATP Tour’s digital platforms, and continually level-up the fan experience across the tennis ecosystem. Visit Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. To learn more about how they work, visit our FAQ page.