World number two Aryna Sabalenka had to push herself hard on Saturday to knock out Colombian Camila Osorio 6-4, 7-5 and reach the knockout stages of the Madrid Open.

“It was a really good match. She’s a great player,” Sabalenka said of Osorio, who is currently ranked 115th in the women’s rankings. “He fought for every point.”

Osorio, who reappeared on the circuit after being out of action for almost two months due to injury, said goodbye with the consolation of having reached the third round in Madrid for the first time.

Champion of the clay-court tournament two years ago, Sabalenka will face Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva for a place in the quarter-finals.

On her 16th birthday, Andreeva toppled another top seed by beating 17th-seeded Magda Linette, the Pole who reached the Australian Open semifinals in January, 6-3, 6-3.

Andreeva had just knocked out Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia to become the seventh player since 2000 to defeat a top-20 ranked opponent.

“I didn’t expect to go this far and face Sabalenka in the round of 16,” said Andreeva. “I’m not really surprised at my level because I know how I can play, but obviously I didn’t expect to go this far.”

In the men’s draw, second-seeded Daniil Medvedev made his debut with a resounding 6-4, 6-3 victory over Andrea Vavassori, an Italian who had to bypass qualifying to enter the main draw.

Medvedev, ranked third in the world, leads the men’s circuit with four titles this season, all on hard courts. The Russian mark this year is 32-4.

He is being singled out as one of the main rivals of defending champion and local idol Carlos Alcaraz, who had to come back on Friday to beat Emil Ruusuvuori in straight sets.

But Medvedev said he was cautious in his expectations, as clay is not his forte.

“I will do my best, as always,” warned Medvedev. “Today I felt very good on the pitch and in the rallies, I was in control and that’s important on clay.”

Vavassori (164) knocked out two-time Madrid champion Andy Murray in the previous round.

The Italian played well and forced Medvedev to save three break points. But the former US Open champion took control by breaking his opponent on the last serve of the first set.

Medvedev will face compatriot Alexander Shevchenko in the next round, another player who won the qualifying tournament and beat Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-1, 6-1.

The duel was briefly interrupted by a downpour, which was welcomed in Madrid as, like the rest of Spain, it is in the midst of a drought.

Moreover, Serbian Dusan Lajovic needed six match points to eliminate Felix Auger-Aliassime (7th seed) 6-2 3-6 7-6 (5). Lajovic went 3-0 for life against the Canadian.

It was Lajovic’s third straight win against one of the top 10 opponents in the world after beating No.1 Novak Djokovic and No.6 Andrey Rublev en route to the Banja Luka title last week.

Australian Open champion Sabalenka is trying to reclaim the Madrid title she won in 2021.

The Belarusian kept the initiative for most of the match, but Osorio managed to level the score in both sets. Sabalenka knew how to react when she let slip a 4-1 lead in the second set after a break for Osorio to receive medical treatment or hip discomfort.

Fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas fought back to beat Dominic Thiem 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5). Tsitsipas hit 39 first serves between the end of the first set and the third, according to ATP statistics.

The Greek will face Argentinian Sebastián Báez (25), who shortly before beat American Marcos Giron 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Meanwhile, American Frances Tiafoe (9) beat Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 7-6 (5). He will face Argentinian Pedro Cachín, who beat compatriot Francisco Cerúndolo 6-1, 7-6(6).

Chilean Cristian Garin beat Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic (27) 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-4 and will face eighth seed Taylor Fritz.