Auger-Aliassime into Madrid Open final as Lehecka retires with injury
Auger-Aliassime and Lehecka were tied at 3-3 before the Czech was forced to retire with a lower back injury
Jiri Lehecka retires with injury at 2024 Madrid Open © Bernat Armangue/AP/SIPA
Felix Auger-Aliassime is into his maiden Masters 1000 final after Jiri Lehecka was forced to retire from their Madrid Open semi-final with a lower back injury after just six games.
It is a desperately bitter blow for the Czech player, who was appearing in his first Masters 1000 semi-final having so superbly knocked out five-time champion Rafael Nadal earlier in the week.
For spectators, the disappointment of such an abrupt end to the match was compounded by the fact that, up until that point, it had been a very watchable affair.
Both players looked sharp and in the mood for a good contest as they traded some captivating early rallies. Other than a single break point for the Canadian, there was little sign of an early break as each service game was held comfortably.
The pair were locked at 3-3 in the opening set when injury struck Lehecka, who briefly attempted to continue after a lengthy medical timeout. But it was evident to all inside Manolo Santana that the Czech was not going to be able to play on.
Lehecka was understandably frustrated to end his first Masters last-four appearance in such a disappointing manner, breaking his racquet before waving a brief goodbye to the Caja Magica crowd.
madrid open hit by third injury withdrawal in two days
The men’s singles tournament has suffered a string of injuries to key players, wreaking havoc on the business end of the competition.
Lehecka’s withdrawal comes immediately after both quarter-finals yesterday were decimated, leaving the Spanish crowd short-changed after just a single set was played across two matches. Jannik Sinner withdrew from the tournament with a hip injury prior to his match against Auger-Aliassime, before Daniil Medvedev retired after losing the first set against Lehecka later in the day.
In the past four men’s singles matches, only three sets have been completed.
Such a bizarre series of back-to-back withdrawals at the latter stages of a big tournament will no doubt reignite discussion around player workload in a long and gruelling season, as well as rekindle debates around the frequent ball changes between different tournaments and issues around scheduling.
For now though, the immediate result of yet another injury is that Auger-Aliassime will face Andrey Rublev in the Canadian’s first Masters 1000 final on Sunday.
But it is far from how the way the world No 35 would have wanted to reach this milestone.
“It’s crazy. I don’t know if it’s ever happened to a player before,” Auger-Aliassime said after the match, referencing the three walkovers he’s had in the tournament en route to the final.
“It’s a weird situation to be in. It’s never happened to me in my career so far. A withdrawal or walkover or retirement of this sort.
“I feel really bad for him. I’ve felt with injuries myself. We can all imagine what it feels like to come out on a night like this hoping to win and go through.”
Auger-Aliassime will go into Sunday’s showpiece event well rested, but short of crucial match time ahead of one of the biggest matches of his career.
Rublev, meanwhile, has re-found some of his very best form this week in Madrid, and is well-seasoned to the conditions in the capital.
Auger-Aliassime is expecting a tough contest.
“I’ve always had three set battles with Rublev. Even back in 2018, I was much younger but it’s always entertaining.
“He’s always a player that fights hard and is always present every tournament. We all have highs and lows as players but he’s always there. That’s why we’re seeing him again in a big final like this.
“He deserves it.”
Lehecka arguably wrote the biggest chapter in the story of the 2024 Madrid Open when he toppled Rafa on an emotional night on Manolo Santana.
His run ends in the semi-finals in the cruellest of circumstances, but he has displayed more than enough of his talent to show that he will certainly be back in the later stages of big tournaments sooner rather than later.
For Rublev and Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, they now have a day to prepare for Sunday’s final, where there will be a guaranteed first-time winner at the Caja Magica.
Most importantly, however, it will be a match that everyone involved will desperately want to see played to a finish.
Fingers crossed.
