DISTURBING NEWS: Rafael Nadal has been eliminated from the Madrid Open because of…
Madrid: Rafael Nadal’s journey at the Madrid Open came to an end on Tuesday as Jiri Lehecka ended the Spaniard’s run at the Masters 1000 event. The victory devastated hearts back home.
In order to go to a final-eight match with Daniil Medvedev and prevent the five-time winner from becoming the first man in history to reach the 100 Masters 1000 quarterfinals, Lehecka, ranked thirty-one, upset Rafael Nadal 7-5, 6-4.
The end of Rafael Nadal’s illustrious career in Madrid, where he holds the record for most wins (59) and titles (five) in tournament history, was signified by this, his first clay-court loss since 2016 against a player outside the top 20.
“I’m content. I had an extremely wonderful and emotional week that was truly unique to me. On the court, Rafael Nadal stated, “I had the chance to play one more time here on this court.”
Although the 22-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t chosen when to hang up his racquet this season, his retirement is drawing near. He has struggled with a number of health ailments over the last two years, and he will decide later this month whether to compete in Roland Garros.
For the first ten games of the match on Tuesday, Lehecka and Nadal were tied for the lead. However, in less than an hour, the 22-year-old Czech broke at love and held to win the first set.
At the beginning of the second set, Nadal lost serve and never got it back, thereby ending the tournament’s run with its greatest winner.
Following the game, there was a special ceremony at Manolo Santana Stadium. “Gracias Rafa” banners, which represented the years he had won the Madrid tournament, were suspended above the bleachers.
With his family looking on from the stands, Rafael Nadal remarked, “This was a joke, because I’ll be back next year.” “I have nothing but gratitude for everyone who has supported me during my career. It’s still not done.
“What you’ve given me here has been a gift. The feeling I had after this encounter in Madrid with the Spanish people… I was fortunate enough to work at my dream job as a child. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have led the life I have. I had no further requests to make.
Lehecka, who advanced to his second career Masters 1000 quarterfinal, described defeating Nadal in his final encounter in Madrid as “bittersweet.”
Lehecka remarked, “It’s great, it’s a dream come true to share the floor with such a legendary player.”
“I’ve always wanted this to happen and always felt that it will.
“Best wishes to Rafa. It’s a little bittersweet to win so nicely in front of so many people, knowing that everyone is rooting for him.” The atmosphere was incredible, and I’m glad it’s over.
Earlier in the day, second seed Carlos Alcaraz defeated longtime rival Jan-Lennard Struff in a hard-fought match to advance to the quarterfinals and extend his winning run at the Madrid Open to a record-tying 14.
Alcaraz ended Struff’s six-match winning streak with a 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4) victory in a replay of last year’s final at the Caja Magica. This victory allowed Alcaraz to advance to a match against seventh seed Andrey Rublev in the last eight.
first-placed Despite battling a hip issue, Jannik Sinner defeated Karen Khachanov 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 to go to his fourth Masters 1000 quarterfinal this season.
Alcaraz, who suffered a forearm injury that kept him out of both Barcelona and Monte Carlo, saved eight of ten break points and watched four match points come and go before sealing the two hours and fifty-two minute victory.
Alcaraz is trying to become the first player to win three straight Madrid titles. He is currently 24-0 on Spanish clay since the 2022 season began.
Alcaraz gave up a 2-0 lead in the second set and then took a 3-1 lead in the tiebreak, but the player lost the next five games and lost the set against Struff, who entered the tournament fresh off an ATP title run in Munich.
Alcaraz gained the necessary lead in the fourth game of the decisive with to a break of serve, but the two-time Grand Slam champion lost when serving to win at 5-3 after leading 40-0.
Fittingly, Struff saved four match points, and the match ended in a tiebreak. Alcaraz let a 3-0 lead slip, but he closed on his fifth opportunity of the game to earn further match points. He did this by landing an inch-perfect lob.
“It reminds me of the match from last year.” Alcaraz, who had just matched Rafael Nadal’s record winning run in Madrid, declared, “It was an amazing fight.”
“I found it challenging to control my emotions and get through trying times. Serving the entire match, I found it incredibly tough to lose after leading 40-0, but I’m glad that in the end, it didn’t break my spirit and I continued to battle.
In the two hours and nine minute match, Sinner won 80% of the points thanks to his opening serve against Khachanov, making 35 forced errors and only 29 unforced errors.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, who defeated Casper Ruud 6-4, 7-5, will take on the defending Australian Open champion in the semi-finals.
“I’m definitely not feeling my best physically right now. I have one day off tomorrow, which will help me get by,” the Italian remarked.
In the meantime, third seed Medvedev defeated Alexander Bublik 7-6(7/3), 6-4 to clinch his full set of Masters 1000 quarterfinals.
Medvedev took the first set tiebreak and swept to a 5-1 lead before Bublik broke through and cut his deficit to just one game.
However, Medvedev was given another opportunity to serve for the win, and on this occasion, he easily converted his opening match point to advance to the round of eight or higher in each of the nine Masters 1000 events.
On the women’s side, it took Iga Swiatek two and a half hours to go to her second straight Madrid semifinal when she defeated Brazilian lefty Beatriz Haddad Maia 4-6, 6-0, 6-2. Swiatek also lost her opening set of the competition.
Swiatek lost the opening set after blowing a 4-1 lead, but the world number one came back stronger than ever, reducing her mistakes to win the next eight games.
In the third game of the decider, Haddad Maia broke Swiatek, stopping the rot, but the Brazilian’s recovery was short-lived.
The 22-year-old Swiatek won four of the previous five games to force a final-four matchup with Madison Keys, the 18th-seeded American player.
“I started making too many mistakes in the opening set, so I had to stick to the strategies. I started playing too quickly,” Swiatek remarked.
All I really needed to do was refocus on my goals for today’s game. Even though it took me longer than usual, I’m delighted it happened after the set.
