Madrid Open: Sorribes Tormo beats Azarenka in epic, plays top seed Swiatek next

Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo won against Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, the No 23 seed, 7-6 (0), 6-3 to reach the last 16 of the Madrid Open at the Caja Magica on Saturday.

Despite being a straight-sets win, it was an epic, lasting two hours and 50 minutes, with the first set alone lasting one hour and 34 minutes.

Sorribes Tormo, ranked No 55, will play Pole Iga Swiatek, the top seed, next.

Ahead of her victory, the Spaniard defeated American qualifier Bernarda Pera (7-5, 6-2) and Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, the No 16 seed (6-3, 7-5).

Azarenka, ranked No 26, beat German Tatjana Maria (6-3, 6-1) in the previous round of the Madrid tournament.

Madrid WTA 1000, other third-round results (Caja Magica, clay, USD 8.770.480, most recent results first):

• Robin Montgomery vs. Aryna Sabalenka
• Danielle Collins vs. Jaqueline Cristian
• Caroline Garcia vs. Jasmine Paolini
• Marketa Vondrousova vs. Mirra Andreeva
• Mayar Sherif vs. Elena Rybakina
• Ashlyn Krueger vs. Sara Bejlek
• Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Daria Kasatkina
• Yulia Putintseva vs. Caroline Dolehide
• Coco Gauff vs. Dayana Yastremska
• Madison Keys vs. Liudmila Samsonova
• Leylah Fernandez vs. Ons Jabeur
• Jelena Ostapenko vs. Maria Lourdes Carle
• Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Emma Navarro
• Sloane Stephens vs. Maria Sakkari: saturday
• Iga Swiatek beat Sorana Cirstea (27): 6-1, 6-1