Mirra Andreeva got her Madrid Open campaign up and running with a victory as she earned a straight-sets win over lucky loser Panna Udvardy on Thursday.
Andreeva needed just one hour and 22 minutes to confirm her 7-5 6-2 triumph in the Spanish capital, with Udvardy's compatriot Dalma Galfi awaiting in the next round.
The ninth seed was put through her paces in the opening set and was forced to defend two break points in the sixth game as her opponent looked to produce an early shock.
However, Andreeva regained her composure and took the match to Udvardy, getting the better of her serve late in the set before hammering home her advantage.
In a dominant second set, Andreeva set the tone for her win in the opening game with a break of serve, and that
deficit proved too much for the Bulgarian to come back from.
Andreeva reeled off the final three games with the minimum of fuss, sealing her progression with an expertly placed forehand to the left baseline that left Udvardy standing.
A strong finish!
— wta (@WTA) April 23, 2026
Mirra Andreeva defeats Udvardy in straight sets and moves on in Madrid. #MMOpen pic.twitter.com/r3mfS97Bog
Earlier in the day, Naomi Osaka also booked her place in the last 32 with the same scoreline as Andreeva as she battled her way past Camila Osorio.
Osaka won 6-2 7-5 in four fewer minutes than Andreeva, and her reward is a clash with Ukrainian qualifier Anhelina Kalinina, who beat Marie Bouzkova in the second round.
Data Debrief: Andreeva finding her groove on clay
Three years on since receiving a wildcard entry at the Madrid Open, where she became the third-youngest player to win a main-draw match at a WTA 1000 tournament at 15-years-old, Andreeva has quickly become one of the standout players on the WTA Tour.
She improved her record to 22-7 in 2026 with this victory here, while she is now 8-1 on clay this year, with her only defeat on the surface coming to Elena Rybakina in the Stuttgart semi-finals.
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