Tournament favorite Iga Swiatek survived a tough test from Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova winning in three sets 6-4, 6-7(7-4), 6-3 to reach her first Madrid Masters quarterfinals.

It was just Swiatek’s second 3-set match of the season, though it wasn’t looking like it would go the distance. Swiatek was dominating up a set and a break before the world No. 1 failed to serve it out and then missed a match point on the Alexandrova serve. Alexandrova raised her level smacking three aces in the breaker to send it to a third.

Swiatek avoided a 0-1, 0-30 deficit early and then got a break and held on in a match that finished past 1am.

Earlier in the day, Spanish hope Paula Badosa was shown the exits by Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-4.

“[We] discussed that I had to stay very focused on myself,” Sakkari said to the WTA. “I have to just try and do my thing. Because if you do one little thing that can trigger the crowd, then things can go downhill. I was just trying to keep calm, keep doing what I was doing well the entire match and just play my game.

“My level is getting better and better.”

2022 finalist Jessica Pegula stayed alive with a 3-set win over No. 18 Martina Trevisan 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

“Playing Martina is always tough. She’s really tricky, especially on clay, and I think the matchup is tough for me, especially tonight when [the clay] was playing slow,” Pegula told the WTA Insider.

“I wasn’t really feeling it out there, to be honest. I’m glad I found a way against someone who’s a really tough matchup for me.”

The American No. 1 finished converting 7 of 11 on break chances.

In an all-Russian affair, No. 12 Veronika Kudermetova upended 8th-seeded Daria Kasatkina in a thriller 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(7-2). Kasatkina had a match point on the Kudermetova serve at 5-6 in the third, which was also the longest game of the match at 14 points.

No. 27 Petra Martic defeated former French champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 7-6(7-1). Irina-Camelia Begu got by 14th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 6-4. Tunisian Mayar Sherif surprised the 24th-seeded Elise Mertens 6-4, 0-6, 6-4.

And second-seeded former champ Aryna Sabalenka eased past the 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-1.

Looking at tomorrow in the first day of quarterfinals, Sabalenka collides with Sherif in a first-time tour-level battle.

Sakkari returns to take on Begu. Sakkari has won two of three tour-level clashes against Begu including St. Petersburg last fall.

“I played Maria last year. I like the challenge of playing the top players,” Begu said. “I have to play my best to win, but I have no pressure. An important match for me. I will try to reach my best level.”