With top tennis players picking up controllers instead of rackets to feature in the Virtual Madrid Open, an online tennis tournament aimed at raising funds for Covid-19 relief, fans have been able to witness some live action.
Andy Murray, who was recovering from a pelvic injury that kept him out of Australian Open earlier this year, showcased his expertise with video games as he stormed into the quarter-finals of the 32-man Virtual Madrid Open.
In the much-anticipated clash of the week, Andy Murray took on clay-court great Rafael Nadal as the two star players met in a Group 1 round-robin match of the Virtual Madrid Open.
Contrary to expectations, the virtual match was a one-sided affair with Andy Murray thrashing Rafael Nadal 3-0. In fact, Nadal was able to win only one points over three games against Murray who went on a sledge fest after the match was over.
"If you speak to Rafa, tell him not to be such a bad loser next time," Andy Murray said during a post-match interview.
"I don't need to train a lot to beat him in this game. He's not very good. If I practised a lot, it would have been even worse for him today!"
Notably, Rafael Nadal was knocked out after he lost his third round-robin match Benoit Paire 1-3 on Tuesday. Nadal had opened the campaign with a thrilling 4-3 win over Canada's Denis Shapovalov in the virtual game.
Andy Murray will take on Alexander Zverev in the quarter-final of the Virtual Madrid Open after storming into the knockout round with a perfect 3-0 record from Group 1.
Here are the confirmed quarter-final line-ups for Virtual Madrid Open
Andy Murray (3-0) vs Alexander Zverev (2-1)
Diego Schwartzman (3-0) vs Fabio Fognini (2-1)
Stefanos Tsitsipas (3-0) vs David Ferrer (2-1)
David Goffin (3-0) vs Benoit Paire (2-1)
Virtual Madrid Open will donate a total of 50,000 to the Madrid Food Bank to help reduce the social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the tournament will include a total purse of 300,000 in the two competitions (150,000 ATP and 150,000 WTA), from which the winners will be able to decide how much they donate to their peers on Tour who are currently suffering economically, according to the ATP.