MADRID.- The attempt to Carlos Alcaraz for a third consecutive title at the Madrid Open came to an end on Wednesday when he succumbed in three sets to Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals.
Second seed in the Masters 1000 on clay, Alcaraz went strong at the beginning but was overwhelmed by his Russian rival’s powerful forehand as he lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Alcaraz, who had already struggled to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff in three sets on Tuesday, did not look comfortable and made many mistakes at the end of the duel in the Caja Mágica.
It was the first tournament played by the 20-year-old Spaniard after missing stops in Monte Carlo and Barcelona — at the start of the European clay tour — due to a right forearm injury. Alcaraz arrived in Madrid saying that he would be happy to play three or four games in the Spanish capital.
Down in the third set, Alcaraz rubbed his forearm during a pause. He wore a long sleeve on his injured arm.
Alcaraz sought to become the first player to win the tournament three times in a row. He had not lost on Spanish territory since 2021.
Rublev, who is trying to win his second Masters 1000 title after winning in Monte Carlo last year, will face the winner of the duel between the American Taylor Fritz and the Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo.
The world number eight stood firm from the start and tamed Alcaraz with a volley of 30 winners.
“The serve saved me many times today,” Rublev said. “The key was that I was calm throughout the game. I didn’t say a single word, even when I was losing. That was the key and I was able to serve better towards the end.”
Sinner leaves Madrid:
The tournament was left without its top seed when Jannik Sinner announced his withdrawal hours before his quarterfinal match due to a right hip injury that he had been suffering from. The Italian was going to face the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Second in the ranking, Sinner had the opportunity in Madrid to get closer to number one Novak Djokovic in a season in which he won his first Grand Slam title in Australia and followed up with the titles in Rotterdam and Miami.
Source: AP
