Madrid Open: Daniil Medvedev retires with injury to see Jiri Lehecka through to semi-finals | Tennis News

Daniil Medvedev is out of the Mutua Madrid Open after having to retire following the opening set of his quarter-final with Jiri Lehecka.

The Russian retired after losing the first set 6-4, sending the 31st-ranked Lehecka into the first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final of his career.

Medvedev needed treatment on his upper right leg while leading 3-2, complaining about having trouble moving to his right. He also needed treatment at 4-3, with Lehecka breaking serve in the ninth game to win the set before Medvedev decided not to continue.

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“Tough to say because when I stretch I don’t feel, but when I move I basically cannot move,” Medvedev told his trainer.

Lehecka won the final three games of the day, made had two aces and won 15 of his 16 first-service points on his way to book a semi-final clash with Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

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After reaching the Madrid Open semi-finals due to a walkover, Jiri Lehecka says he would have chosen ‘any other way’ to win

“It’s never easy in a match like this,” Lehecka said post-match. “If I were to choose the way how to win this match, it wouldn’t be like that. Of course, it’s never easy to see your opponent struggling, but at that moment, you just need to focus on yourself, trying to get the maximum level out of yourself.”

Lehecka, 22, won his first ATP title earlier this season in Adelaide and also defeated Spanish star Rafael Nadal in the previous round of Madrid.

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Rafael Nadal waved an emotional farewell to the Madrid Open as his home fans applauded him off the court for the last time

The men’s match schedule for Thursday was shorter than usual because No 1 seed Jannik Sinner of Italy had previously withdrawn with a hip injury, allowing Auger-Aliassime to advanced to the semi-finals via walkover.

Russia’s Andrey Rublev – the seventh seed and highest-ranked player left in the draw – will play Taylor Fritz in the opening semi-final on Friday, before Auger-Aliassime’s clash with Lehecka headlines the evening session.

Get Sky Sports Tennis | Get Sky Sports on WhatsAppDownload the Sky Sports App I Follow @SkySportsTennisBritain’s Jamie Murray and his doubles partner Michael Venus defeated French duo Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia 0-6 6-4 10-2 to makes the semi-finals in the Spanish capital.

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Jamie Murray feels Rafael Nadal deserves to finish his career in good health and on his own terms

The tournament is trialling a faster men’s doubles format, with greater focus on matches between singles players and established doubles teams. Teams are allowed just 15 – rather than the usual 25 – seconds between points after rallies up to three shots, and only 60 seconds to sit down at the change of ends.

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