Madrid, 1 May (AP) Carlos Alcaraz lost three sets against Andrey Rublev on Wednesday in the quarterfinals, ending his hopes of winning a third consecutive Madrid Open championship.
The seventh-seeded Rublev outplayed the second-seeded Spaniard after he had a strong early run, losing 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 at the Caja Magica center court.
Alcaraz, who had previously had difficulty in Tuesday’s three-set victory over Jan-Lennard Struff, appeared uneasy and prone to errors in the closing moments of the match.
It was his first competition following his absence from Barcelona and Monte Carlo due to a right forearm injury. When Alcaraz, at 20 years old, first came in Madrid, he expressed his desire to play three or four games in the Spanish city.
Alcaraz pushed the forearm on a stoppage in the third set, already in a hole. He had his injured arm covered with a long sleeve shirt.
“I think my forearm hurt more today than it did during the match yesterday. After playing for three hours yesterday, I knew that I would either feel something or think about it more,” stated Alcaraz, who is currently ranked third. “It’s difficult to play someone like Rublev because I can’t push him to the limit every point.” In order to further his preparation for the French Open later this month, Alcaraz intends to play in Rome.
“I intend to travel to Rome. I’m going to work to play Rome well or as close to 100% as possible, but these days I’m going to make the decision. He remarked, “But I think I’ll be OK.” “It’s going to be a slow process, I guess, but I have to work hard if I want to go to Rome with good feelings, without pain, and without thinking about my forearm.” In that sense, I must exercise patience. Alcaraz was attempting to make history by being the first player to win the clay-court competition three times in a row. Since 2021, he had not lost on Spanish territory.
After winning in Monte Carlo the previous year, Rublev is looking for his second ATP 1000 title and will face either Francisco Cerundolo or Taylor Fritz.
With thirty winners, the world No. 8 dominated Alcaraz right from the outset.
Rublev remarked, “The serve saved me a lot of times today.” “It was crucial that I maintained my composure the entire game.” Despite the fact that I was losing, I remained silent. That turned out to be the key, and I served even better in the closing moments. I wasn’t serving very well at first, but after set one, I gradually got better and finished pretty nicely. RYBAKINA SUMMERS Elena Rybakina, ranked fourth, defeated Yulia Putintseva 4-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5, saving two match points along the way to go to the women’s quarterfinals.
The Wimbledon champion from 2022 came back from a 5-2 deficit in the third set. In the second set, she was likewise behind due to an early break.
Rybakina leads the tour with a 30-4 record this season and has won eight straight games. She is attempting to make it to her sixth final of the year after winning 16 straight clay matches.
The reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka or 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva will be Rybakina’s next opponent. (AP) AM AM AM