Alcaraz loses to Rublev in Madrid Open quarterfinals. Sinner withdraws with hip injury
MADRID (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz’s bid to win a third straight Madrid Open title ended with a three-set loss to Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
The second-seeded Spaniard got off to a good start but then was outplayed by the seventh-seeded Rublev, losing 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 at the Caja Magica center court.
Alcaraz, who had already struggled in a three-set win over Jan-Lennard Struff on Tuesday, looked out of sorts and was mistake-prone toward the end.
It was his first tournament after missing Monte Carlo and Barcelona because of a right forearm injury. The 20-year-old Alcaraz had arrived in Madrid saying he would be happy to play three or four matches in the Spanish capital.
Already in a hole in the third set, Alcaraz pressed the forearm during a stopover. He was wearing a long sleeve over the injured arm.
“Today probably I felt more in the forearm than yesterday’s match. I mean, playing three hours yesterday, I knew that I’m going to feel something or I’m going to think about it even more,” the third-ranked Alcaraz said. “Playing someone like Rublev that I couldn’t push him to the limit in every point is tough.”