The Queen in the lead in the race

There are matches you analyze and matches you watch with a coffee. This one belongs to the second category. Elena Rybakina is the No. 2 seed, 1.84m tall, right-handed, coached by Stefano Vukov, and she comes into Madrid directly in R2 thanks to her seeding bye. First match of the tournament for the Kazakhstani, fresh body, no accumulated fatigue. Her serve remains one of the most formidable weapons on the women’s tour, and Madrid at 667 meters of altitude will further amplify a ball that already comes off the racquet at speeds that are hard to handle even for the best returners.

Elena-Gabriela Ruse is a solid Romanian clay-court player, able to sustain rallies and create discomfort against opponents at her level. But her level is not Rybakina’s, and this match looks more like a warm-up than a real test.