Jan Zieliński and Luke Johnson are back on track after more difficult weeks. The Polish-British duo won the second match in the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid and advanced to the quarterfinals. The meeting with Tallon Griekspoor and Brandon Nakashima had a twist, but the super tie-break belonged to Zieliński and Johnson.
Jan Zieliński and Luke Johnson advanced in Madrid
Zieliński and Johnson defeated Tallon Griekspoor and Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 4-6, 10-3. The match lasted one hour and 13 minutes, and the winner was decided by better play in the most important moments of the super tie-break.
This is the second match won on clay courts in Madrid for the Polish-British pair. After the semi-final of the Australian Open 2026, the duo had a weaker period, but their performances on clay are starting to look better. The breakthrough came in Munich, and now it can also be seen in a higher-ranking tournament.
A strong start and the rivals’ response
The first set went as Zieliński and Johnson expected. Already in the second game, they broke their opponents and quickly took control of the game. Griekspoor and Nakashima had a chance to get back into the game at 2-4, but they missed two break points.
The end of the set belonged to the Pole and the Briton. They used the third set ball and once again took away their opponents’ serve, winning 6-2. The second game was more even. When the score was 2-2, Zieliński and Johnson lost their serve and later missed four break points in a row. The rivals maintained their advantage and closed the set with a score of 6:4.
Super tie-break without mercy
The decisive game started with Griekspoor and Nakashima leading 2-1, but then Zieliński and Johnson played brilliantly. They scored six points in a row, which allowed them to build an advantage that was practically impossible to make up for.
The Dutchman and the American no longer found an answer. The Polish-British duo used the first match ball and won the super tie-break 10-3. This victory may have a great mental significance because it was achieved after losing the second set.
The French are waiting in the quarterfinals
Zieliński and Johnson will face Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul in the quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open. The French are among the leading doubles pairs of the 2026 season, so the bar will clearly go up.
The match is scheduled for Thursday. If Zieliński and Johnson maintain the level from the super tie-break, they can fight for a result in Madrid reminiscent of their January success at the Australian Open.
Piala Dunia 2026
Piala Dunia FIFA 2026 akan menjadi edisi paling revolusioner dalam sejarah sepak bola dunia. Turnamen ini untuk pertama kalinya akan diselenggarakan di tiga negara sekaligus, yaitu Amerika Serikat, Kanada, dan Meksiko. Selain itu, jumlah peserta juga meningkat dari 32 menjadi 48 tim, membuka peluang lebih besar bagi negara-negara dari berbagai konfederasi untuk tampil di panggung global. Format baru ini akan menghadirkan lebih banyak pertandingan, atmosfer kompetisi yang lebih luas, serta jangkauan penonton yang semakin besar di seluruh dunia.
Dengan skala yang jauh lebih besar, FIFA menargetkan turnamen ini sebagai ajang yang tidak hanya kompetitif tetapi juga spektakuler dari sisi teknologi dan pengalaman penonton. Stadion-stadion modern di berbagai kota tuan rumah telah dipersiapkan untuk menghadirkan pertandingan berkelas dunia, didukung oleh inovasi seperti peningkatan sistem VAR dan pengalaman digital bagi fans. diprediksi akan menjadi tonggak baru dalam evolusi sepak bola internasional, memperkuat popularitas olahraga ini sekaligus menciptakan momen-momen bersejarah yang akan dikenang dalam waktu lama.
