BBC Sport · May 1, 2024
Alcaraz's Madrid Open title defence ended by Rublev
Alcaraz suffered his first defeat on Spanish clay in 25 matchesCarlos Alcaraz's bid for a third straight title at the Madrid Open was ended by Andrey Rublev.
Russian seventh seed Rublev rallied from a set down in the quarter-final to win 4-6 6-3 6-2 and break Alcaraz's 14-match winning streak in the Spanish capital.
The 20-year-old second seed was aiming to become the first player to win three consecutive Madrid Open singles titles.
Rublev will face American 12th seed Taylor Fritz or Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo for a place in the final.
After a gruelling win against Jan-Lennard Struff that lasted just under three hours on Tuesday, Alcaraz struggled to find his best form against Rublev.