Carlos Alcaraz bid for a third consecutive Madrid Open title was dashed by Andrei Rublev.
Russia’s seventh seed Rublev recovered from a set down in the quarterfinals to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, ending Alcaraz’s 14-game winning streak in the Spanish capital.
The 20-year-old runner-up was aiming to become the first player to win three consecutive singles titles at the Madrid Open.
For a spot in the final, Rublev will face either 12th seeded American Taylor Fritz or Argentina’s Francisco Cerundro.
After a tough win against Jan-Leonard Struff on Tuesday that lasted just under three hours, Alcaraz struggled to find his best form against Rublev.
The two-time Grand Slam champion, who withdrew from clay court tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona earlier this month due to a right arm injury, reached 30 wins against Rublev despite winning the first set. He looked tired.
His win ended Rublev’s losing streak at four, having won the ATP 1,000 title only once in his career.
Alcaraz’s departure comes after five-time champion Rafael Nadal lost to Jiri Rehechka on Tuesday in what is likely to be the 37-year-old’s final appearance in the competition, with Alcaraz’s departure coming after the Spanish squad, which plays at home in Madrid. It was another blow to hopes.
Meanwhile, world No. 2 Jannik Sinner withdrew from the tournament due to a right hip injury, allowing Thursday’s opponent Felix Auger-Aliassime to advance to the semi-finals.
Sabalenka advances to first semi-final since Australian Open
In the women’s draw, defending champion Arina Sabalenka advances to the semi-finals with an easy win over Russian teenager Mila Andreeva 6:1 6:4 did.
The second-seeded Belarusian didn’t have a breaking ball against the 17-year-old.
Sabalenka will face Elena Rybakina in her first semifinal since winning the Australian Open in January.
Rybakina came back from a set down to defeat fellow Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, securing her place in the last four.
The fourth-seeded 2022 Wimbledon champion said it would be a “tough battle” against Sabalenka, whom she defeated in the Brisbane International final earlier this year.
Sinner accepts doctor’s advice
Sinner, the 22-year-old Italian, said: “I’m very sad to have to withdraw from Madrid.”
“This week I have been concerned about my hip joint, and the pain is gradually increasing. On the advice of my doctor, I have decided that it is best to continue playing and not make my symptoms worse,” he said on May 26 after winning the championship. he wrote on his way to the second Grand Slam of the season, the French Open, in Paris on Sunday. Australian Open in January.