US Open Champs Osaka, Andreescu, Raducanu Madrid Winners; Halep v Badosa Saturday

A trio of former US Open champions advanced Friday on the clay at the Madrid Masters.

Making her 2022 clay debut, Naomi Osaka topped recent Istanbul champion Anastasia Potapova cruising 6-3, 6-1. Osaka, who has only made one career semifinal on clay, opened down a break early but got things rolling to snap the Russian’s 9-match win streak.

“I’m honestly trying to be more positive with myself,” Osaka said. “This year I came a week early to train on red clay, so just trying to give myself more chances to do better.

“To be able to do it in two sets, for me, it’s a really good starting block.”

The unseeded wildcard Osaka will next meet Sara Sorribes Tormo on Sunday.

Bianca Andreescu resumed her return to tennis with a tough 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 win over Alison Riske. Emma Raducanu was also a winner getting past Tereza Martincova 7-6(2), 6-0. Two of the British teen’s four career clay wins have come over Martincova. She’ll now face fellow youngster Marta Kostyuk in the second round.

“All throughout juniors she was always the favorite when we played. She was considered much better. Yeah, it’s a funny one. When we played last year she played very good, but also I wasn’t very well that day. So it’ll be an interesting match-up,” Raducanu said.

It wasn’t all roses for US Open winners as Sloane Stephens fell to Anhelina Kalinina in straights.

Maria Sakkari also was a winning outlasting Madison Keys in tough first rounder 6-4 in the third.

Leylah Fernandez, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula lost while 3-time champion Petra Kvitova suffered her earliest exit at the event falling to Jil Teichmann 6-3, 7-5.

Tomorrow, Spanish favorite Paula Badosa will battle 4-time finalist and 2-time winner Simona Halep in a first-time meeting.

“I’m really looking forward to these kind of matches, because I really like them and it’s the matches that you work for,” Badosa said. “I will try to give my best, and I hope people can enjoy because I will try to make a good match.”

Coco Gauff and Victoria Azarenka are also on court along with gold medalist Belinda Bencic who battles Karolina Muchova.

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