WATCH: Albert Ramos-Vinolas ‘first win since February’ at the Madrid Open
Albert Ramos-Vinolas has ended his winning drought after defeating Ilya Ivashka in the Madrid Open round of 128. The Spaniard played some exciting tennis, giving him the edge to go out and grab the much-needed win.
The 35-year-old currently sits at number 60 on the ATP Rankings and has had a career-high of rank 17. His Belarusian competitor sits just nine places behind him, at rank 69, with a career-high of No. 40.
Ramos-Vinolas has had a challenging year so far, with his last win coming in February, which came at the Rio Open. He defeated Daniel Elahi Galan in the round of 16 with a confident 6-2,6-4 win over the No. 1 Colombian player.
His recent match saw him overcome his brutal losing streak after defeating Ivashka 4-6, 7-6, 6-2. The pair produced an exciting two hours and 58 minutes before the Spaniard grabbed his ticket to advance into the next round.
This was a surprising win for the Spaniard, as his competitor had won three out of his last six matches, as opposed to his zero wins from his previous six matches. The match saw some impressive strikes, with both players winning some big points.
After winning his fourth game of the second set Ramos-Vinolas celebrated with a vicious cry to help motivate him to secure the win. “Oh, what a strike. Urging himself on here,” remarked the commentator.
The Spaniard was able to grab his first set of the match with a brilliant backhand that was too powerful for his opponent to return. Leaving the commentator to say, “A fine effort from Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who’s looking for his first win since February; and looking to end a run of seven defeats on the bounce.” This will surely help give the Spaniard a confidence boost as he looks to push on to the final.
Ramos-Vinolas bathed in the glory of ending his losing streak, with the commentator adding, “That’s a very welcomed win for Albert Ramos-Vinolas. A first win, in fact, since February.” A proud moment for the Spaniard, who received a standing ovation from the supporters.
Ramos-Vinolas is set to face fellow Spaniard 29th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Friday. The 35-year-old will have to produce some excellent tennis if he is to defeat Davidovich Fokina, who sits 25 places in front of him at rank 35 and has a career-high of No. 24.
The pair have faced each other twice in their career, with both players winning one each. This will undoubtedly bring us an exciting match, as the players will look to break the deadlock.
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