Madrid 2019: Wednesday's Order of Play and Match Points

ORDER OF PLAY

MANOLO SANTANA -- 12:00 noon start
[3] Simona HALEP (ROU) vs. Viktoria KUZMOVA (SVK)
[1] Naomi OSAKA (JPN) vs. Aliaksandra SASNOVICH (BLR)
Following 1 ATP match, not before 8:00 p.m.
Caroline GARCIA (FRA) vs. [2] Petra KVITOVA (CZE)

STADIUM 3 -- 12:00 noon start
[7] Kiki BERTENS (NED) vs. [12] Anastasija SEVASTOVA (LAT)
Following 1 ATP match, not before 4:00 p.m.
Belinda BENCIC (SUI) vs. [Q] Kateryna KOZLOVA (UKR)
[8] Sloane STEPHENS (USA) vs. ZHENG Saisai (CHN)

COURT 4 -- 12:00 noon start
Veronika KUDERMETOVA (RUS) / Galina VOSKOBOEVA (KAZ) vs. [2] Nicole MELICHAR (USA) / Kveta PESCHKE (CZE)
[9] Ashleigh BARTY (AUS) vs. Yulia PUTINTSEVA (KAZ)
After rest
[1] Barbora KREJCIKOVA (CZE) / Katerina SINIAKOVA (CZE) vs. Irina-Camelia BEGU (ROU) / Simona HALEP (ROU)
Donna VEKIC (CRO) vs. Petra MARTIC (CRO)

COURT 6 -- 12:00 noon start
Shuko AOYAMA (JPN) / Lidziya MAROZAVA (BLR) vs. [6] Gabriela DABROWSKI (CAN) / XU Yifan (CHN)
Following 1 ATP match
Maria Jose MARTINEZ SANCHEZ (ESP) / Sara SORRIBES TORMO (ESP) vs. [3] Samantha STOSUR (AUS) / ZHANG Shuai (CHN)

MATCH POINTS

Simona Halep and Viktoria Kuzmova will meet for the first time. Halep's win over Johanna Konta in the second round improved her win-loss record at the Mutua Madrid Open to 22-6, including back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.

Read more: Viktoria Kuzmova speaks softly, carries a big stick - 'I can play against anyone'

World No.1 Naomi Osaka has a 2-0 head-to-head lead over Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Both of their previous matches were on hardcourt, and both finished in straight sets, including a 6-0, 6-0 victory for Osaka in their most recent clash, at the US Open last year. Osaka went on to win that event for her first Grand Slam title.

Osaka's first-ever WTA clay-court quarterfinal came two weeks ago at Stuttgart. She went on to reach the semifinals before withdrawing from that match against Anett Kontaveit with an abdominal injury.

Read more: Osaka subdues Sorribes Tormo to reach Madrid third round

Defending champion Petra Kvitova and Caroline Garcia have a close rivalry, with Kvitova holding the edge in their head-to-head by 4-3. Kvitova won their last meeting, in the fourth round of the Miami Open in March. This will be their first clash on clay.

Petra Martic has the most wins on clay so far this season. The Croat is 10-1 on the surface in 2019, which includes her run to her first-ever WTA singles title in Istanbul last month. Martic advanced to the round of 16 this week after No.4 seed Angelique Kerber withdrew before their second-round match, due to a right ankle injury.

Photos: Madrid marvels: Kvitova, Osaka, Halep assemble

Kiki Bertens and Anastasija Sevastova have only played each other at Madrid -- and this will be the third straight year they do so, comprising the entirety of their head-to-head. Sevastova won their first meeting in straight sets in the 2017 quarterfinals; Bertens avenged that loss in the round of 16 last year, en route to the final.