MADRID — Carlos Alcaraz‘s bid to win a 3rd straight Madrid Open title ended with a three-set loss to Andrey Rublev within the quarterfinals Wednesday.
The second-seeded Alcaraz, of Spain, received off to a superb begin however then was outplayed by the seventh-seeded Rublev, dropping 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 on the Caja Magica heart courtroom.
Alcaraz, who had already struggled in a three-set win over Jan-Lennard Struff on Tuesday, regarded out of kinds and was mistake-prone towards the top.
It was his first match after lacking Monte Carlo and Barcelona due to a proper forearm harm. The 20-year-old had arrived in Madrid saying he could be joyful to play three or 4 matches within the Spanish capital.
Already in a gap within the third set, Alcaraz pressed the forearm throughout a stopover. He was carrying an extended sleeve over the injured arm.
Alcaraz was making an attempt to change into the primary participant to win the clay-court match three straight occasions. He hadn’t misplaced on Spanish soil since 2021.
Rublev, searching for his second ATP 1000 title after profitable Monte Carlo final 12 months, will play both Taylor Fritz or Francisco Cerundolo.
The world No. 8 was strong from the beginning and overpowered Alcaraz with 30 winners.
“The serve saved me lots of occasions right now,” Rublev stated. “The important thing was I used to be fully calm the entire match. I didn’t say one phrase, even when I used to be dropping. That was the important thing and I used to be in a position to serve even higher close to the top. At first, I used to be not serving that effectively however little by little, after set one, I served higher and higher and completed rather well.”
Fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina saved two match factors en path to a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 win over Yulia Putintseva to achieve the ladies’s semifinals.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion rallied whereas trailing 5-2 within the third set. She additionally trailed by an early break within the second set.
Rybakina has gained eight matches in a row and has a tour-leading 30-4 file this season. She has 16 straight clay wins and is making an attempt to achieve her sixth remaining of the 12 months.
Rybakina will subsequent face both defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
