Memory Lane April 30, 2020

Madrid Memories 2016: Halep reigns in Spain, Cibulkova soars

Look back on a fantastic tournament when Simona Halep and Dominika Cibulkova showed their class on clay after some big upsets in the early rounds.

Playing the European clay season for the first time, 18-year-old future World No.1 Naomi Osaka made her Madrid debut in 2016 qualifying, upsetting No.6 seed Zheng Saisai but falling to No.16 seed Alison Riske in the final round. — 01 /19

Playing the European clay season for the first time, 18-year-old future World No.1 Naomi Osaka made her Madrid debut in 2016 qualifying, upsetting No.6 seed Zheng Saisai but falling to No.16 seed Alison Riske in the final round.

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Monica Puig - whose 2016 would be a career-best season including the Olympic gold medal, her biggest WTA final in Sydney and a career-high ranking - came through qualifying, but fell to Sabine Lisicki in round one. — 02 /19

Monica Puig - whose 2016 would be a career-best season including the Olympic gold medal, her biggest WTA final in Sydney and a career-high ranking - came through qualifying, but fell to Sabine Lisicki in round one.

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For the second straight year, Barbora Strycova took a Top 10 scalp in the first round, upsetting Australian Open champion and No.2 seed Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-2. — 03 /19

For the second straight year, Barbora Strycova took a Top 10 scalp in the first round, upsetting Australian Open champion and No.2 seed Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-2.

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The tournament lost its top two seeds in the first round as World No.38 Dominika Cibulkova eliminated No.1 Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3 - the Slovak's ninth career Top 3 win and the first of three wins over Radwanska in 2016. — 04 /19

The tournament lost its top two seeds in the first round as World No.38 Dominika Cibulkova eliminated No.1 Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3 - the Slovak's ninth career Top 3 win and the first of three wins over Radwanska in 2016.

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Camila Giorgi took the spoils in an all-Italian first round derby to upset No.15 seed Sara Errani 7-5, 7-5, coming from 3-5 down in both sets - but a back injury forced the Katowice runner-up to withdraw before her next match. — 05 /19

Camila Giorgi took the spoils in an all-Italian first round derby to upset No.15 seed Sara Errani 7-5, 7-5, coming from 3-5 down in both sets - but a back injury forced the Katowice runner-up to withdraw before her next match.

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Danka Kovinic, fresh off becoming the first Montenegrin player to reach a WTA final in Istanbul, carried her stellar form over, upsetting No.7 seed Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-2 in the first round for her first - and so far only - Top 10 victory. — 06 /19

Danka Kovinic, fresh off becoming the first Montenegrin player to reach a WTA final in Istanbul, carried her stellar form over, upsetting No.7 seed Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-2 in the first round for her first - and so far only - Top 10 victory.

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American qualifier Louisa Chirico was ranked a lowly World No.130, but the rising 19-year-old turned heads with her second Top 20 win of the clay season in the second round, a 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 defeat of No.14 seed Ana Ivanovic. — 07 /19

American qualifier Louisa Chirico was ranked a lowly World No.130, but the rising 19-year-old turned heads with her second Top 20 win of the clay season in the second round, a 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 defeat of No.14 seed Ana Ivanovic.

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Dominika Cibulkova backed up her big first-round win by pulling off a remarkable comeback against Caroline Garcia in the second round, triumphing 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 after trailing 0-6, 0-3. — 08 /19

Dominika Cibulkova backed up her big first-round win by pulling off a remarkable comeback against Caroline Garcia in the second round, triumphing 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 after trailing 0-6, 0-3.

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Irina-Camelia Begu added to No.4 seed Garbiñe Muguruza's patchy start to 2016 in round two, upsetting the Spaniard in front of her home crowd for her first Top 5 scalp; nonetheless, Muguruza would bounce back to win Roland Garros a month later. — 09 /19

Irina-Camelia Begu added to No.4 seed Garbiñe Muguruza's patchy start to 2016 in round two, upsetting the Spaniard in front of her home crowd for her first Top 5 scalp; nonetheless, Muguruza would bounce back to win Roland Garros a month later.

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Another Romanian, qualifier Patricia Maria Tig, knocked off three rising stars - Daria Kasatkina, Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys - to reach the biggest quarterfinal of her career to date, cracking the Top 100 for the first time as a result. — 10 /19

Another Romanian, qualifier Patricia Maria Tig, knocked off three rising stars - Daria Kasatkina, Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys - to reach the biggest quarterfinal of her career to date, cracking the Top 100 for the first time as a result.

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The unseeded Daria Gavrilova was also a noteworthy upset artist, reaching her first Premier Mandatory quarterfinal with back-to-back straight-set defeats of No.12 seed Elina Svitolina and No.5 seed - and defending champion - Petra Kvitova. — 11 /19

The unseeded Daria Gavrilova was also a noteworthy upset artist, reaching her first Premier Mandatory quarterfinal with back-to-back straight-set defeats of No.12 seed Elina Svitolina and No.5 seed - and defending champion - Petra Kvitova.

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Perennially dangerous on clay, Samantha Stosur served notice that she was rounding into form by upsetting No.8 seed Carla Suárez Navarro in round three en route to the semifinals - a stage the Australian would also reach at Roland Garros a month later. — 12 /19

Perennially dangerous on clay, Samantha Stosur served notice that she was rounding into form by upsetting No.8 seed Carla Suárez Navarro in round three en route to the semifinals - a stage the Australian would also reach at Roland Garros a month later.

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2014 runner-up Simona Halep dropped just 10 games in her first three matches en route to the quarterfinals, where she survived a 6-3, 0-6, 6-1 rollercoaster against compatriot Irina-Camelia Begu. — 13 /19

2014 runner-up Simona Halep dropped just 10 games in her first three matches en route to the quarterfinals, where she survived a 6-3, 0-6, 6-1 rollercoaster against compatriot Irina-Camelia Begu.

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Louisa Chirico benefited from a No.4 seed Victoria Azarenka handing her a walkover in the third round due to a back injury, but the American continued her fairytale run on court by beating Daria Gavrilova 7-6(1), 6-2 to make her first WTA semifinal. — 14 /19

Louisa Chirico benefited from a No.4 seed Victoria Azarenka handing her a walkover in the third round due to a back injury, but the American continued her fairytale run on court by beating Daria Gavrilova 7-6(1), 6-2 to make her first WTA semifinal.

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A ruthless Simona Halep needed only 52 minutes to dismiss Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-0 in the semifinals and book her place in her first final of 2016, and second in Madrid - but Stosur would avenge the loss a month later in the fourth round of Roland Garros. — 15 /19

A ruthless Simona Halep needed only 52 minutes to dismiss Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-0 in the semifinals and book her place in her first final of 2016, and second in Madrid - but Stosur would avenge the loss a month later in the fourth round of Roland Garros.

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Dominika Cibulkova was equally stingy: having fought through three-setters in her first four matches, the Slovak hit top form to rout Louisa Chirico 6-1, 6-1, moving into the biggest clay final of her career. — 16 /19

Dominika Cibulkova was equally stingy: having fought through three-setters in her first four matches, the Slovak hit top form to rout Louisa Chirico 6-1, 6-1, moving into the biggest clay final of her career.

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In the final, Halep got off to a lightning start and didn't look back, never dropping serve as she closed Cibulkova out 6-2, 6-4 to capture the second Premier Mandatory trophy of her career following Indian Wells 2015. — 17 /19

In the final, Halep got off to a lightning start and didn't look back, never dropping serve as she closed Cibulkova out 6-2, 6-4 to capture the second Premier Mandatory trophy of her career following Indian Wells 2015.

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Halep's 12th career title moved her back into the Top 5 after a five-week dip out of it, while Cibulkova re-entered the Top 30 as part of a career-best season that took her from World No.66 in February to the WTA Finals title and World No.5 by year end. — 18 /19

Halep's 12th career title moved her back into the Top 5 after a five-week dip out of it, while Cibulkova re-entered the Top 30 as part of a career-best season that took her from World No.66 in February to the WTA Finals title and World No.5 by year end.

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The title would kickstart Halep's year: she would lift further trophies in Bucharest and Montréal and post her third consecutive Top 5 finish - although 2016 would be the only season since 2013 in which she failed to reach a major semifinal. — 19 /19

The title would kickstart Halep's year: she would lift further trophies in Bucharest and Montréal and post her third consecutive Top 5 finish - although 2016 would be the only season since 2013 in which she failed to reach a major semifinal.

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