The stars do not miss a beat Quarter-finals, it will be a show

Predictions were respected in the round of 16 of the women’s draw at the Madrid Premier P1. All seven of the eight seeded players who had reached Thursday remain in the running: the only pair who realized the upset in the round of 16 – Carmen Goenaga and Lucia Martinez – continued on their way thanks to a three-set victory (7-5 4-6 6-3) over Nuria Rodriguez and Marta Talavan. The world’s top pairs continue to go into high gear: Ari Sanchez (who celebrated her 26th birthday on Wednesday with a cake on court) and Paula Josemaria defeated Marta Borrero and Ksenia Sharifova (6-4 6-3). Gemma Triay and Marta Ortega won even more clearly, 6-2 6-1 to Ariadna Cañellas and Carla Mesa.

Delfi Brea and Bea Gonzalez gave up only two games (6-2 6-0) to Carolina Navarro and Marina Guinart, just as the Sanchez Alayeto twins won in two sets (6-3 6-4) over Mari Carmen Villalba and Esther Carnicero. Among the most balanced matches of the day was that of Sofía Araújo and Jessica Castelló who defeated Marina Lobo and Lorena Rufo (7-6, 6-4) 7-6 6-4. If Julieta Bidahorria was forced to withdraw due to a knee problem (ahead Aranzazu Ozoro and Lucia Sainz), Claudia Jensen and Veronica Virseda benefited from the forfeits of Sandra Hernández and Martina Fassio.

Friday is quarter-finals day, and all the matches (both male and female) will be played on the Centre Court: it will open at 10:00 a.m. with Sanchez/Josemaria against Araújo/Castelló, followed by Martinez/Goenaga against the Sanchez Alayeto twins. After a men’s match, the other two quarters: Virseda/Jensen against Triay/Ortega and Brea/Gonzalez against Osoro/Sainz, a rematch of the Rome quarters.