Sakkari rediscovers top form with win over Paolini to reach last 16 in Madrid

Greek Maria Sakkari enjoyed her best win by ranking in more than a year on Sunday as she upset sixth seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 to reach the last 16 of the Madrid Open.

Sakkari, who has slipped down the rankings to No 82, will face the winner of the match between Kazakh Elena Rybakina, the No 10 seed, and Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, the No 17 seed, next.

It’s her first top-10 win since beating Coco Gauff in Indian Wells in March 2024 and just her first victory over a top 10 player in her past 15 clashes.

The Greek beat Chinese Xinyu Wang (6-4, 7-6 (7)) and Pole Magda Linette, the No 29 seed (7-6 (5), 6-3) in the previous rounds of the Madrid tournament.

In the previous round, Paolini, ranked No 6, won against Katie Boulter (6-1, 6-2).

Madrid WTA 1000, other third-round results (Caja Mágica, clay, EUR 7.854.000, most recent results first):

• Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Daria Kasatkina
• Elena Rybakina vs. Elina Svitolina
• Jessica Pegula vs. Moyuka Uchijima
• Rebeka Masarova vs. Peyton Stearns
• Sofia Kenin vs. Anastasia Potapova: sunday
• Marta Kostyuk (24) beat Veronika Kudermetova: 6-0, 4-6, 6-4
• Aryna Sabalenka (1) beat Elise Mertens (28): 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
• Donna Vekic (19) beat Emma Navarro (11): 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
• Iga Swiatek (2) beat Linda Noskova (31): 6-4, 6-2
• Coco Gauff (4) beat Ann Li: 6-2, 6-3
• Belinda Bencic beat Beatriz Haddad Maia (16): 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2)
• Madison Keys (5) beat Anna Kalinskaya (30): 7-5, 7-6 (3)
• Yuliia Starodubtseva (Q) beat Liudmila Samsonova (18): 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-0
• Diana Shnaider (13) beat Anastasija Sevastova: 6-0, 6-0
• Mirra Andreeva (7) beat Magdalena Frech (27): 7-5, 6-3