Madrid, Spain, 3 May 2022 | Leigh Rogers

Alex de Minaur has booked his place in the second round at the Madrid Open.

The 23-year-old Australian made a winning start at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament, battling past Spain’s Pedro Martinez 7-6(2) 1-6 6-3 in two hours and 44 minutes.

It propels the world No.22 into a second-round showdown with 10th-seeded Italian Jannik Sinner.

World No.12 Sinner has won all three of his previous meetings with the top-ranked Australian, including their Australian Open fourth-round clash earlier this year.

Yet De Minaur’s confidence is high right now, as he enjoys a career-best clay-court season.

> READ: De Minaur feeling confident on clay

Sinner was forced to dig deep in his first-round victory against American Tommy Paul, saving three match points in a dramatic three-hour battle.

In women’s doubles action, Storm Sanders and Chinese partner Zhang Shuai powered into the quarterfinals. The top-seeded duo needed only 65 minutes to overcome Poland’s Alicja Rosolska and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe 6-2 6-4 in second-round action.

Ellen Perez and American partner Nicole Melichar-Martinez lost their second-round match against Ukrainain Lyudmyla Kichenok and Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets.

Aussies in action – Madrid

RESULTS
Men’s singles, first round
Alex de Minaur (AUS) d Pedro Martinez (ESP) 7-6(2) 1-6 6-3

Women’s doubles, second round
[1] Storm Sanders (AUS)/Zhang Shuai (CHN) d Alicja Rosolska (POL)/Erin Routliffe (NZL) 6-2 6-4
Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR)/Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) d Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) 6-4 7-5

COMING UP
Men’s singles, second round
Alex de Minaur (AUS) v [10] Jannik Sinner (ITA)

Women’s doubles, second round
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS)/Alize Cornet (FRA) v [8] Shuko Aoyama (JPN)/Hao-Ching Chan (TPE)

Women’s doubles, quarterfinals
[1] Storm Sanders (AUS)/Zhang Shuai (CHN) v TBC

> AUSSIES IN ACTION: Find out where all our top-ranked Australians are competing this week

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