Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime will face off in Sunday’s Madrid Open final after the pair progressed in different circumstances from their semi-finals on Friday.
Andrey Rublev continued his fine form in the first semi-final, winning 6-4, 6-3 over Taylor Fritz. It was a very clean performance from the Russian, who overcame a shaky start where he dropped serve in the opening game to hit back instantly, and from there, he was the dominant player en route to his fifth Masters 1000 final.
Like yesterday, the second match ended prematurely when Jiri Lehecka retired with a lower back injury, with the score at 3-3 in the first set. The Czech has been absent from the tour since Miami due to a vertebrae issue, and it looked like the problem came back, as he was visibly gutted when he was forced to retire.
You can see highlights, match stats and a quick recap of both semi-finals below.
Madrid Open 2024 Day 10 Semi-Final Results
| Winner | Loser | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| Andrey Rublev (7) | Taylor Fritz (12) | 6-4, 6-3 |
| Felix Auger-Aliassime | Jiri Lehecka (30) | 3-3, RET |
Rublev Dispatches Fritz
Andrey Rublev’s impressive form at the Madrid Open has positioned him within close reach of his second ATP Masters 1000 title.
In a dominant semi-final performance on Friday, the seventh seed defeated World No. 13 Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3, securing his spot in his fifth Masters 1000 final after just 73 minutes.
Rublev, who had suffered four consecutive tour-level losses before Madrid, has looked very composed at the Caja Magica. As per Tennis Insights, his serve quality has been one of the best during the event and far above the tour average.
That showed against Fritz. Even though he was broken in the opening game, he quickly equalised the score, and from there, he was the better player, using his serve and forehand to finish points decisively.
I started tight. I missed a couple of returns and a couple of easy shots, but it is part of sport and part of tennis. When he broke me, I thought, ‘OK, it is only the beginning; we have a long set, and we will see. Maybe he will also not start well on his serve’. In the end, I think he didn’t hit a first serve in the first three points, so I was able to win, and it was 0/30. On one break point, I played well, and somehow it was 1-1. Then, the match was equal until the end of the set. Rublev on his win over Fritz.
Match Stats
| Taylor Fritz | Andrey Rublev | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 7 | 5 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 3 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 55% | 75% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 69% (18/26) | 83% (38/46) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 57% (12/21) | 40% (6/15) |
| Break Points Saved | 50% (3/6) | 67% (2/3) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 20% (9/46) | 35% (9/26) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 60% (9/15) | 43% (9/21) |
| Break Points Converted | 33% (1/3) | 50% (3/6) |
| Winners | 16 | 20 |
| Unforced Errors | 6 | 10 |
| Net Points Won | 83% (5/6) | 80% (4/5) |
| Max Points In Row | 5 | 9 |
| Service Points Won | 64% (30/47) | 72% (44/61) |
| Return Points Won | 28% (17/61) | 36% (17/47) |
| Total Points Won | 44% (47/108) | 56% (61/108) |
| Max Games In Row | 1 | 3 |
| Service Games Won | 67% (6/9) | 90% (9/10) |
| Return Games Won | 10% (1/10) | 33% (3/9) |
| Total Games Won | 37% (7/19) | 63% (12/19) |
Highlights
Lehecka Retires Against Auger-Aliassime
Felix Auger-Aliassime reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final after Jiri Lehecka retired during their semi-final match due to severe back pain only seven games into the contest.
Lehecka, recently sidelined for almost two months by a vertebrae issue, suffered a reoccurrence of his back problem and was visibly distressed during the sixth game.
Despite an attempt to play on after receiving treatment, he retired shortly after the set was tied at 3-3. This marks the third instance in this tournament where Auger-Aliassime has advanced due to an opponent’s inability to continue, having also moved past Jakub Mensik, who retired mid-match and Jannik Sinner, who withdrew the evening before.
It’s crazy. I don’t know if it’s ever happened to a player before. It’s kind of a weird situation to be in on my part. It’s never happened to me in my career so far, a withdrawal, a walkover, or a retirement of this sort, and back-to-back like this. I couldn’t believe what was happening when I saw his back locked on him. I feel really bad for him. I’ve had injuries myself, and we can all imagine how it feels to come out on a night like this, hoping to win to go through, having a battle with your opponent, and not being able to play. I have a lot of empathy for Jiri and can’t do anything but try to prepare for Sunday. Auger-Aliassime on his path to the final.
Match Stats
| Felix Auger-Aliassime | Jiri Lehecka | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 5 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 0 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 60% | 79% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 100% (9/9) | 87% (13/15) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 50% (3/6) | 50% (2/4) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/0) | 100% (1/1) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 13% (2/15) | 0% (0/9) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 50% (2/4) | 50% (3/6) |
| Break Points Converted | 0% (0/1) | 0% (0/0) |
| Winners | 8 | 3 |
| Unforced Errors | 0 | 3 |
| Net Points Won | 75% (3/4) | 100% (4/4) |
| Max Points In Row | 4 | 4 |
| Service Points Won | 80% (12/15) | 79% (15/19) |
| Return Points Won | 21% (4/19) | 20% (3/15) |
| Total Points Won | 47% (16/34) | 53% (18/34) |
| Max Games In Row | 1 | 1 |
| Service Games Won | 100% (3/3) | 100% (3/3) |
| Return Games Won | 0% (0/3) | 0% (0/3) |
| Total Games Won | 50% (3/6) | 50% (3/6) |
Highlights
Madrid Open 2024 Final
- Andrey Ruble (7) vs Felix Auger-Aliassime