MADRID – Jiri Lehecka ended Rafael Nadal’s Madrid Open run in Spain’s final appearance at the Masters 1000 on Tuesday, breaking home hearts.
The 30th-seeded Lehecka defeated Nadil 7-5, 6-4 to reach the last eight with Daniil Medvedev and denied the five-time champion the chance to become the first man in history to reach the Masters 1000 quarter-finals.
It was Nadal’s first victory on clay by a top-20 player since 2016 and marked the end of his career in Madrid, which has the most wins (59) and titles (five) in the history of the tournament.
“I’m happy. This week is very special for me. “I have the opportunity to play again here on this field,” he said.
Nadal has not decided when he will retire this season, but the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s retirement is imminent. A number of physical problems have hampered him in the last two years and he will make a call on whether he will compete at Roland Garros later this month.
Lehecka and Nadal were neck-and-neck for the first 10 games of the tournament on Tuesday, with the 22-year-old Czech love to close out the opening set in an hour.
Nadal dropped his serve at the start of the second and never recovered as he waved goodbye to the reigning tournament champion.
After the match, a special ceremony was held at the Manolo Santana Stadium, with a Gracias Rafa plaque hanging above the stands, marking the years he has been Madrid’s tournament winner.
“It’s a joke because I’ll be back next year,” joked Nadal, his family watching from the podium. “All I can say is thank you to everyone who has helped me in my career. It’s not over yet.
“What you give me here is a gift. My feelings from this experience in Madrid, from the public in Spain … I was lucky to be able to do what I loved as a child.
Lehecka said it was “delightful” to beat Nadal in Madrid in his final match before reaching his second Masters 1000 quarter-final.
“It’s amazing for me to share the court with such a legendary player,” Lehecka said.
“I’ve always wanted to be like this and I’ve always wanted that.
“The best for Rafa, it’s quite funny to have a good victory in front of these people who are cheering. The energy here is amazing and I’m glad I got to experience it.”
A few days earlier, second seed Carlos Alcaraz extended his Madrid Open record to 14 wins with a strong victory over familiar foe An-Lennard Struff to reach the quarterfinals.
In last year’s Caja Magica final, Alcaraz defeated Struff 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4) in the final. – eight clash with seventh seed Andrei Rublev.
Top seed Jannik Dosa was nursing a hip problem but managed to beat Karen Hasan 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 to reach her fourth Masters 1000 quarter-final in as many events this season.
Alcaraz, who missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona with a wrist injury, saved eight of 10 breaks and saw off four match points before completing his two-hour, 52-minute victory.
Alcaraz, who has now won 24-0 against the Spanish giants since the start of the 2022 season, is looking to become the first player to win three Madrid titles in a row.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the second set, Alcaraz opened up a 3-1 advantage in the match, only to lose the next five points and surrender the set to Struff, who came on the backcourt. The first ATP title was held in Munich.
A break in the fourth game of the decider gave Alcaraz the cushion he needed, but the two-time Grand Slam champion broke while serving for a 40-0 5-3 victory.
Struff saved four match points and the match was effectively over. Alcaraz jumped out to a 3-0 lead but missed match point by landing an inch-perfect lob to close out his fifth chance of the match.
“I remember this match from last year. It was a great fight,” Alcaraz said after matching Rafael Nadal’s record in Madrid.
“It was difficult for me to deal with my emotions, to go through difficult moments. It was very difficult to serve the match, to break down after losing 40-0, but in the end I am very happy that it did not happen. It did not affect me and my mentality and I continued to fight .”
The perpetrator won 80 percent of his first serve against Khasanov, hitting 35 winners with 29 unforced errors in the two hour, nine minute battle.
The reigning Australian Open champion will face Felix Auger-Aliassime, who defeated Kasper Ruud 6-4, 7-5, to earn a place in the semifinals.
