Madrid Open 2020: Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray Win in Monday’s Virtual Play

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With the tennis schedule on hold because of the coronavirus, the biggest stars in the sport went virtual for the 2020 Madrid Open.

Players competed Monday in the Tennis World Tour video game, with 16 men and 16 women vying for a championship during the four-day event.

There is a prize pool of €150,000 in each bracket to donate to relief funds for “lower-ranked players whose incomes have dried up during the pandemic,” per Jonathan Jurejko of BBC, creating a lot of motivation during the fun event.

Here is a look at what took place on Day 1 in homes around the world, with all games being streamed on the tournament's Facebook page.     

Results

Diego Schwartzman def. David Ferrer

Belinda Bencic def. Carla Suarez

Rafael Nadal def. Denis Shapovalov

Fiona Ferro def. Karolina Pliskova

Andy Murray def. Benoit Paire

Sorana Cirstea def. Johanna Konta

Diego Schwartzman def. John Isner

Stefanos Tsitsipas def. Fabio Fognini

Donna Vekic def. Angelique Kerber

David Goffin def. Lucas Pouille

Sorana Cirstea def. Elina Svitolina

Fabio Fognini def. Frances Tiafoe 

Kiki Bertens def. Angelique Kerber

Donna Vekic def. Eugenie Bouchard 

Johanna Konta def. Victoria Azarenka

Caroline Wozniacki def. Kristina Mladenovic

Stefanos Tsitsipas def. Kei Nishikori

Kei Nishikori def. Frances Tiafoe

Alexander Zverev def. Lucas Pouille

Remaining Day 1 Matches

Alexander Zverev vs. Karen Khachanov

Dominic Thiem vs. John Isner

Kiki Bertens vs. Eugenie Bouchard

Bianca Andreescu vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Bianca Andreescu vs. Madison Keys

Results available via Madrid Open Twitter Account.

Recap

Nadal is a five-time winner of the Madrid Open in real life and found similar success on the virtual clay.

The Spanish star kicked off his tournament with a match against Denis Shapovalov that went to a tiebreak, but Nadal was able to come through with the 4-3 (7-3) win.

Tennis Channel @TennisChannel

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Virtual @RafaelNadal for the win.

The Spaniard kicks off the #MMOPEN Virtual Pro with a victory over Shapovalov (4-3).

#PlayAtHome https://t.co/VEFQBW9EmL

He was also set to compete in a charity match against YouTube personality DjMaRiiO, but it was postponed to Tuesday. 

Andy Murray showcased his skills with the controller as well, earning a victory in his first match by defeating Benoit Paire 3-1.

#MMOPEN @MutuaMadridOpen

¡Oh, Andy! 🔝💫

🇬🇧 @andy_murray | #PlayAtHome 🎮 https://t.co/SgRbUBZHlw

John Horn @SportsHorn

Andy Murray is all in on his Madrid Virtual match…Grunting on his own points, screaming at the screen…awesome stuff & def. Paire 3-1 in 8 min match…No sign of any hip issues either #MMOpen #ATP

The characters in the game are supposedly equal in skill level, but the top players excelled with their own avatars.

The tournament fortunately gives everyone a chance at multiple games through a round-robin format before advancing to the quarterfinals.

Here is a breakdown of the rules for the event:

wta @WTA

The players are confirmed ✅
The groups are set ✅
Play starts on Monday 🔜

Learn more about the 4⃣ groups for the inaugural @MutuaMadridOpen Virtual Pro competition –> https://t.co/U5Be7HYXeE https://t.co/ylvB5Ocrd7

#MMOPEN @MutuaMadridOpen

Still not familiar with the format of the #MMOPEN Virtual Pro? 🤔

Allow us to explain everything you should know before it all starts 💪🏻

#PlayAtHome 🎮 https://t.co/0aZsjQaXRz

As the players got a chance to let out their competitive side after weeks away from real competition, some took the opportunity to have fun.

Belinda Bencic created a mock walk-in ahead of her first game:

Belinda Bencic @BelindaBencic

The @mutuamadridopen Virtual Pro PS4 Game “Walk In” into my living room😄 #playathome PS: my match is in 10min 😅 https://t.co/Zm4V4iETqp

Though it is expected to be a while before fans see live tennis, this event is entertaining enough to hold people over for the next few days.        

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