Tue Apr 22 15:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Baptiste Favored to Upset Cirstea in Madrid Open First Round
**Madrid, Spain** – The first round of the 2025 Mutua Madrid Open will see a compelling matchup between veteran Sorana Cirstea of Romania and rising American star Hailey Baptiste on Tuesday, April 22nd. While neither player is in peak form, Baptiste is slightly favored to advance.
Cirstea, returning from a five-month injury layoff, enters the match without any clay-court experience this season. Her best results this year came on hard courts, reaching two quarterfinals. Last year in Madrid, she reached the second round before a loss to Iga Swiatek.
Baptiste, despite not yet achieving a major breakthrough this season, has shown promise. She reached the second round of the Charleston Open and pushed top players Danielle Collins and Naomi Osaka to three sets in Indian Wells and Miami respectively.
Despite Cirstea’s experience, analysts are predicting a 2-1 victory for the higher-ranked Baptiste. The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports Tennis (UK) and the Tennis Channel (US), with streaming available via Sky Go and the Tennis Channel’s online platforms. Tickets are available via [insert ticket link here].
First Piper 