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Top Seeds Zverev and Sabalenka Advance with Easy Victories at Madrid Open

Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 25, 2025 Germany's Alexander Zverev serves during his round of 64 match against Spain's Roberto Bautista-Agut. (Reuters)
Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 25, 2025 Germany's Alexander Zverev serves during his round of 64 match against Spain's Roberto Bautista-Agut. (Reuters)
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Top Seeds Zverev and Sabalenka Advance with Easy Victories at Madrid Open

Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 25, 2025 Germany's Alexander Zverev serves during his round of 64 match against Spain's Roberto Bautista-Agut. (Reuters)
Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 25, 2025 Germany's Alexander Zverev serves during his round of 64 match against Spain's Roberto Bautista-Agut. (Reuters)

Top seeds Alexander Zverev and Aryna Sabalenka scored comfortable victories in their opening matches at the Madrid Open on Friday.

Zverev cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over home favorite Roberto Bautista Agut, while Sabalenka triumphed 6-3, 6-4 against qualifier Anna Blinkova.

Zverev, the Madrid champion in 2018 and 2021, needed only 69 minutes to extend his winning streak to six matches. The German player moved to No. 2 in the world after capturing the Munich title last week.

"A good match, I knew I had to focus against Roberto," said Zverev, who improved to 24-5 in Madrid. "I knew that it was going to be a tough challenge. This is my favorite center court in the world, I only lost twice here in my entire life. I hope that stays the way throughout the next 10 days and that I can continue playing good tennis."

In the third round, Zverev faces Nuno Borges or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Sabalenka tops Blinkova Sabalenka, winner in Madrid in 2021 and 2023 and last year's runner-up to Iga Swiatek, converted three of her seven break opportunities to defeat the 76th-ranked Blinkova.

The top-ranked Sabalenka will face No. 28 seed Elise Mertens in the third round.

Anastasia Potapova upset eighth-seeded Qinwen Zheng, while 15th seed Amanda Anisimova lost 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 to fellow American Peyton Stearns. Sixth-seeded Jasmine Paolini eased past Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-2.

In other action on the men's side, fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz of the U.S. routed Christopher O'Connell of Britain 6-1, 6-4, and Casper Ruud beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-3, 6-4.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets, while Danill Medvedev advanced after Laslo Djere withdrew.

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Japan Defeat Iceland in World Cup Send-off through Late Ogawa Header

Japan Defeat Iceland in World Cup Send-off through Late Ogawa Header
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Japan Defeat Iceland in World Cup Send-off through Late Ogawa Header

Japan Defeat Iceland in World Cup Send-off through Late Ogawa Header

Japan eked out a late 1-0 win over Iceland in Tokyo on Sunday through Koki Ogawa's 87th-minute header as Hajime Moriyasu's side closed out their home-based preparations for the World Cup with a barely deserved victory.

Ogawa was one of 11 substitutions made by Moriyasu in a match that had the mood of a testimonial with Maya Yoshida granted a final appearance for the Samurai Blue almost four years after his previous game for Japan.

The 37-year-old left the pitch to a guard of honor in the 13th minute and passed the captain's armband to Wataru Endo, the Liverpool man returning to the line-up after several months on the sidelines in an injury-affected season, Reuters reported.

Yoshida had started in a backline that featured Takehiro Tomiyasu for the first time in almost two years, the former Arsenal defender continuing to build his fitness towards Japan's World Cup opener against the Netherlands on June 14.

The Japanese threatened in the early exchanges, with Keito Nakamura sliding his attempt from the left across the face of the Iceland goal.

But Logi Tomasson almost caught the hosts out in the 30th minute when he swept a first-time left-foot shot towards goal from 25 yards out only for the ball to bend away from Zion Suzuki's left post.

Takefusa Kubo's long-range attempt was gathered by Hakon Valdimarsson, who soon after tipped Keito Nakamura's header over the bar as Japan pressed for the opener.

Suzuki threw himself to his right to keep out Dagur Dan Thorhallsson's attempt late in the half while Valdimarsson gathered Tomiyasu's strike at the second attempt in stoppage time.

Ko Itakura was denied by Valdimarsson six minutes after the restart and Ogawa bent his 62nd-minute effort wide of the post with Japan laboring to find a way through the Icelandic defence.

With three minutes remaining Ogawa pounced, nodding Yukinari Sugawara's cross from the right beyond Valdimarsson, beating the goalkeeper via the inside of the post.

Japan will be appearing at their eighth consecutive World Cup and will face the Netherlands, Tunisia and Sweden in the group phase.

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Brazil Boss Confident Neymar Will Recover for World Cup

Brazilian national soccer team coach Carlo Ancelotti speaks at a press conference at Granja Comary in Teresopolis, Brazil, 30 May 2026. EPA/Antonio Lacerda
Brazilian national soccer team coach Carlo Ancelotti speaks at a press conference at Granja Comary in Teresopolis, Brazil, 30 May 2026. EPA/Antonio Lacerda
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Brazil Boss Confident Neymar Will Recover for World Cup

Brazilian national soccer team coach Carlo Ancelotti speaks at a press conference at Granja Comary in Teresopolis, Brazil, 30 May 2026. EPA/Antonio Lacerda
Brazilian national soccer team coach Carlo Ancelotti speaks at a press conference at Granja Comary in Teresopolis, Brazil, 30 May 2026. EPA/Antonio Lacerda

Brazil's Neymar is recovering well from a calf injury and could even be available for their opening World Cup match next month, coach Carlo Ancelotti said.

Neymar was recalled to the squad this month despite not featuring in Ancelotti's plans during the Italian's year in charge of Brazil.

The Santos forward, who is Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 international appearances, was then ruled out of warm-up games ⁠against Panama and ⁠Egypt by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) due to the calf injury on Thursday.

"Before the squad announcement, we received a report from Santos saying the player had a minor issue, some swelling. We left Santos to deal ⁠with that situation until the 27th," Reuters quoted Ancelotti as telling reporters on Saturday ahead of Brazil's meeting with Panama.

"Neymar was called up because, from the coaching staff's point of view, he had to be called up. After the 27th, the CBF took over Neymar's situation, and that's what we've done. We're managing Neymar's recovery. We believe he'll recover as quickly as possible.

"He's working ⁠well, ⁠and he's in good spirits ... We believe he can be ready for the first World Cup match. If he's not ready for the first match, he'll be ready for the second. So we have absolutely no intention of replacing anyone."

Brazil, looking to win a record-extending sixth World Cup title, will face Morocco, Haiti and Scotland in Group C of the June 11 to July 19 tournament in North America.

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World Cup Co-hosts Mexico Edge Australia in Friendly

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: Alexis Vega of Mexico controls the ball during the international friendly match between Mexico and Australia at Rose Bowl Stadium on May 30, 2026 in Pasadena, California. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: Alexis Vega of Mexico controls the ball during the international friendly match between Mexico and Australia at Rose Bowl Stadium on May 30, 2026 in Pasadena, California. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP
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World Cup Co-hosts Mexico Edge Australia in Friendly

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: Alexis Vega of Mexico controls the ball during the international friendly match between Mexico and Australia at Rose Bowl Stadium on May 30, 2026 in Pasadena, California. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: Alexis Vega of Mexico controls the ball during the international friendly match between Mexico and Australia at Rose Bowl Stadium on May 30, 2026 in Pasadena, California. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP

World Cup co-hosts Mexico warmed up with a scrappy 1-0 friendly win over Australia in front of nearly 80,000 El Tri fans at the Rose Bowl outside Los Angeles on Saturday.

Defender Johan Vasquez had the only goal of the encounter, deftly steering in a header from Alexis Vega's corner midway through the first half, AFP reported.

Mexico dominated possession but Australia, playing largely on the counter and generally solid in defense, spurned several good chances to silence the partisan crowd.

The contest took place at the historic venue that hosted the last World Cup final in the United States, in 1994, though the Rose Bowl will not feature in this summer's tournament.

The overwhelming majority of supporters were clad in green for Mexico, which will co-host the 2026 edition along with the US and Canada, with just a smattering of Australian yellow dotted around the cavernous stands.

While Mexico dominated the ball from kick-off, the first decent chance fell to Australia's Jackson Irvine, who snatched at a loose ball from a free kick cross and steered it just wide.

But El Tri began to make their control count. The dangerous Luis Chavez whipped in a diagonal cross to Vega, whose glancing header was instinctively tipped over the crossbar by Mathew Ryan.

Moments later, Mexico scored. The opener came from Vega's outswinging corner, deftly headed down by Vasquez and bouncing in off the inside post, beyond the reach of an outstretched Ryan.

It was poor defending at the set-piece from Australia, who enjoyed a significant height advantage, including the presence of six-foot-six defender Harry Souttar.

The Socceroos had a golden chance to level the game on the cusp of half-time.

Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel raced off his line to claim a long ball, but defender Mateo Chavez Garcia ignored the call, instead heading the ball straight into the path of Australia's Mohamed Toure.

The 22-year-old Norwich City striker -- born at a refugee camp in Guinea to Liberian parents, before emigrating as a child to Australia -- had an open goal but somehow steered his lobbed effort wide left.

Australia began the second half far more proactively. Aiden O'Neill had a powerful long-range effort well saved.

Both sides began to make multiple substitutions. Mexico brought on 40-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who is preparing for his sixth World Cup -- a record he is likely to share with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Australian substitutes Paul Okon-Engstler and Ajdin Hrustic combined for a chance, but Hrustic's shot from just inside the box was well blocked.

Though Australia had greater control in the second half, Mexico thought they had a second goal with a quarter of an hour to go, Jesus Gallardo's shot accidentally steered in by Hrustic.

But the referee had still been spraying the foam line for Australia's defenders to stand behind, and ruled out the effort, to the fury of Mexico's players and boisterous fans.

Mexico will have one more tune-up game, against Serbia on home turf on Thursday, before they open the World Cup on June 11 against South Africa in Mexico City.

Mexico's Group A also contains South Korea and the Czech Republic, while Australia have been drawn with co-hosts USA as well as Paraguay and Türkiye.