Sonmez becomes first Turkish player to win in Madrid, Eala and Cilic move through

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sonmez-zeynep/vZ8lpjnM/"]Sonmez[/a], who has enjoyed a strong 2026 so far, reaching the Australian third round and becoming the first Turkish woman in the Open Era to win a match there, is currently sitting at a career-high ranking of 67, and showed her vast improvement against the Spaniard.[/p][p]There were seven breaks of serve in a topsy-turvy first set, before Sonmez saved three set points at 4-5, 0-40 to eventually take the opener. She had a far more straightforward time in the second set, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/martinez-cirez-c-SO0EHoOE/sonmez-z-vZ8lpjnM/?mid=4GAtr5HO"]sealing the win in an hour and 53 minutes[/a].[/p][embed guid="436dce6d-b4a3-4fc4-9726-920d418e2829" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2046909576302199231" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eala-alexandra/ppu9X7PH/"]Alexandra Eala[/a] also booked her spot in the second round, when she claimed a comfortable [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/eala-a-ppu9X7PH/pavlyuchenkova-a-2LhiB9IJ/?mid=htTmXi53"]6-3, 6-3[/a] victory over former French Open finalist [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pavlyuchenkova-anastasia/2LhiB9IJ/"]Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova[/a].[/p][p]It is the third year in a row that Eala has won her opening match in Madrid, but the Filipino has never made it past round two. 19th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mertens-elise/Y1ZrrUtl/"]Elise Mertens[/a] now awaits.[/p][embed guid="56033012-ab0c-4016-af9c-d2583bf567aa" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2046943675897311242" social-type="twitter" /][p]Meanwhile, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruse-elena-gabriela/ra7IoKGO/"]Elena Gabriela Ruse[/a], who reached the first WTA 500 semi-final of her career just under two weeks ago in Linz, had to dig deep to see off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruzic-antonia/MuT7l0nb/"]Antonia Ruzic[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/ruse-g-ra7IoKGO/ruzic-a-MuT7l0nb/?mid=ObQYzBnp"]6-3, 4-6, 6-0[/a].[/p][p]However, there was no such luck for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lys-eva/v93ljkqM/"]Eva Lys[/a], who fell to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/lys-e-v93ljkqM/zhang-s-OY0ZExo5/?mid=6ayergfA"]6-4, 6-3[/a] loss to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zhang-shuai/OY0ZExo5/"]Shuai Zhang[/a]. The German has struggled to find her best form after picking up an injury at the Australian Open, with Zhang ending a six-match losing streak.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kasatkina-daria/GU42elks/"]Daria Kasatkina[/a]'s tough 2026 continued with a heartbreaking [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/kasatkina-d-GU42elks/snigur-d-YuOTpKxj/?mid=UkME7ma6"]6-3, 3-6, 7-6(13)[/a] defeat at the hands of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/snigur-daria/YuOTpKxj/"]Daria Snigur[/a]. Kasatkina squandered four match points before succumbing in the 28-point final set tiebreak. [/p][p]Over on the men's side of the tournament, 2014 US Open champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cilic-marin/nLoK5syL/"]Marin Cilic[/a] secured a fine win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bergs-zizou/SbeTx1o8/"]Zizou Bergs[/a], coming from a set down to triumph [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/bergs-z-SbeTx1o8/cilic-m-nLoK5syL/?mid=nk1sXik2"]4-6, 6-3, 6-4[/a]. [/p][embed guid="bc0ce1d3-dbb8-4711-8ea3-092a629fb694" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2046914835791679893" social-type="twitter" /][p]The 37-year-old will now face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fonseca-joao/tv073LUc/"]Joao Fonseca[/a] in the second round - a player 18 years his junior.[/p][p]2021 runner-up, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/berrettini-matteo/OhwtM7N8/"]Matteo Berrettini[/a], was handed a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/berrettini-m-OhwtM7N8/prizmic-d-YcluY2Zi/?mid=n9PHcht4"]6-3, 6-4[/a] loss by 20-year-old [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/prizmic-dino/YcluY2Zi/"]Dino Prizmic[/a], and will now drop out of the ATP top 100 as a result.[/p][embed guid="b5e6295f-f9d1-4841-a67e-b1622c934b52" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2046942888353812512" social-type="twitter" /][p]Other winners on Wednesday included [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hurkacz-hubert/zuHOBnY9/"]Hubert Hurkacz[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pliskova-karolina/xGn9KNfO/"]Karolina Pliskova[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/putintseva-yulia/W2BCKjLQ/"]Yulia Putintseva[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/boulter-katie/0SeXj3jT/"]Katie Boulter[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kenin-sofia/IJAxNUl3/"]Sofia Kenin[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/siniakova-katerina/OKXs3Wah/"]Katerina Siniakova[/a].[/p]