Alcaraz outlasts Struff to reach Madrid Open quarterfinals. Nadal loses to Lehecka
MADRID (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz was put to the test and pulled through at the Madrid Open. Rafael Nadal couldn’t overcome his challenge and is done in likely his last appearance at his home tournament.
Two-time defending champion Alcaraz needed nearly three hours to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4) and reach the quarterfinals. Nadal, a record five-time champion in Madrid, struggled from the start in a 7-5, 6-4 loss to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka.
Both Spaniards are coming off injuries and are trying to get back in shape ahead of next month’s French Open. The 20-year-old Alcaraz had missed tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona. The 37-year-old Nadal had played two matches in Barcelona after not playing competitively in nearly three months.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion arrived in Madrid saying he wasn’t fully fit and was worried about his condition, but in the end was celebrating having won three consecutive matches without showing significant physical limitations.
Nadal had only one break opportunity against the big-serving Lehecka who has won all his three matches in straight sets.
The second-seeded Alcaraz was coming off two comfortable victories in Madrid but struggled on Tuesday. He squandered four match points against the 24th-ranked Struff while serving at 5-3 but converted on his first opportunity to seal the victory in the deciding tiebreaker at the Caja Magica center court.
“I wasn’t at my best physically toward the end of the match, but I’m happy that in the end I found my game,” Alcaraz said. “I fought for every ball and didn’t let down despite some difficult moments when things didn’t go my way.”
Alcaraz is trying to become the first player to win three straight Madrid Open titles. He also needed three sets to beat Struff in last year’s final. The world No. 3 will next face seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev at the clay-court tournament.
The 20-year-old Alcaraz had not played in Monte Carlo and Barcelona to try to fully recover ahead of the French Open. He beat Alexander Shevchenko and Thiago Seyboth Wild in straight sets in his first two matches in Madrid.
Top-seeded Jannick Sinner defeated 16th-seeded Karen Khachanov 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the Madrid quarterfinals for the first time. He is the only player to make it to the quarterfinals at all four ATP 1000 events this season.
“I think today was really tough, because at some points he served really well, so it was tough to return,” Sinner said. “I made a couple of mistakes in the first set when he broke me, but this can happen. In the second set I tried to stay focused immediately, I broke him, and the confidence level raised a bit.”
SWIATEK RALLIES
Iga Swiatek came from a set down to defeat Beatriz Haddad Maia 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 and reach the semifinals for a second straight year.
The top-ranked Swiatek was up 4-1 in the first set but the 14th-ranked Brazilian rallied. Swiatek regained control in the final two sets to reach her fifth semifinal of the year.
She will next face eighth-seeded Ons Jabeur, who is a former champion, or 18th-seeded Madison Keys.
The Madrid Open is the only high-profile European clay tournament that Swiatek has yet to win.
MEDVEDEV ADVANCES
Third-seeded Daniil Medvedev was given the run around by Alexander Bublik before winning 7-6 (3), 6-4.
“A lot of drop shots, and I got so tired in the end running for them,” Medvedev said. “That’s when you lose your concentration and you start to play a bit worse. That’s what happened, but after the match he told me he was dead also. So, good for me, at least I was not the only one.”
Medvedev will next play Lehecka.
World No. 8 Rublev defeated Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-4 for his third consecutive straight-set win in Madrid.
Francisco Cerundolo, ranked 22nd, upset two-time champion Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4 for his third career win over a top-five player. Cerundolo has Taylor Fritz next after the American defeated Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (2), 6-4.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis