Rafael Nadal’s thrilling and dramatic final stand at home ended just after midnight on Wednesday morning as he was outplayed and outplayed by the Czech young prodigy Jiri Lehecka, who seized on the chance of his career One of the most important moments in the game, he finally defeated the Spaniard 7-5, 6-4 and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open.
The defeat is likely to mark Nadal’s last appearance at the event, which he has won a record five times, with the 37-year-old expecting 2024 to be the last year of his career.
After the game, an emotional Nadal remained on the court for a special display, with five banners depicting Nadal’s record five wins falling from the closed roof as Madrid bid farewell to its greatest champion.
“This is very special for me,” Nadal said. “I have the opportunity to play on this pitch again and it gives me a lot. When I went to Barcelona I didn’t know if I would ever play again. It was an unforgettable week. Honestly, the only thing I could do Just thanks.
“In 2005, I came to Madrid for the first time and it was one of the most exciting victories I have ever had. To this day, all I have received is unconditional support and love. All I can say is thank you.
While a last-16 defeat at any clay-court event would be a tragedy for Nadal, the performance represents an important step forward after the most desperate 18 months of his career. He leaves Madrid with four games in hand and appears to be still going strong physically and making clear progress in his return from injury.
He entered the match with questions about his endurance after a tense three-set win over Pedro Catchin a day earlier. Unlike Nadal’s previous opponents, Lehka is a destructive striker with the weapons to put his opponents under relentless pressure.
The 22-year-old controlled many of the exchanges, although his dominance was marred by too many turnovers early in the match as Nadal controlled the ball with confidence and struck the ball with authority from the start. .
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Djokovic hints at breakup with fitness coach
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Novak Djokovic thanked his long-time strength and conditioning coach Marko Panic on Tuesday for his years of service, marking the end of their working relationship amid the world No. 1’s latest shake-up of his backroom team. Italian Panic first joined Djokovic’s coaching team in 2017.
The Serbian said last week he was considering going without a coach after ending his five-year partnership with Goran Ivanisevic following his early exit from Indian Wells last month. Djokovic missed the Madrid Open this year but plans to compete in Rome ahead of the French Open and Paris Olympics.
“Our collaboration over the years has been truly amazing. We have reached the top, won championships and broken records,” Djokovic wrote on Instagram. ‘[Thank you] Thank you for all the energy, effort and time you put into making me the best player and person I can be. Like it very much. Reuters
Lehka slowly found his range as the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s depth faded in the first set. He made the decisive breakthrough with some incredible shots, knocking the ball out from above the baseline and showing a delicate touch of the net at the decisive point.
Even as the cheers at Manolo Santana Stadium grew louder, the 12,400 spectators stood up and chanted “if possible“(Yes, we can) Lehka maintained his composure until the final match with a brilliant performance to see off Nadal.
Whether the 14-time French Open champion feels he is physically ready for Paris remains to be seen, but he has already laid a solid foundation as the tour heads to the Italian Open in Rome next week.
per svatek He defeated Beatrice Haddad Maia 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 and returned to the semi-finals.she will face Madison Keys Team USA also recovered from a set loss to beat Ons Jabr 0-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Among the rest of the men’s action, Carlos Alcaraz He survived a brutal encounter with Jan-Lennard Struff in a dramatic replay of last year’s final. After losing three match points in the final set, Alcaraz recovered and won 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(4) to enter the quarterfinals. Jannik Sinner Also in trouble, she eventually found a way out, defeating Karen Khachanov 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.
