Lehecka advances to Madrid Open semi-finals as Medvedev retires due to injury
MADRID:Czech rising star Jiri Lehecka made headlines at the Madrid Open as he secured a spot in the semi-finals following a dramatic match against world number four Daniil Medvedev. The Russian player, seeded third in the tournament, was forced to retire due to a groin problem after losing the first set to Lehecka.
The turning point came when Medvedev requested a medical timeout while leading 3-2 in the first set. Despite returning to the court, he visibly struggled to move, allowing Lehecka to break his serve and claim a 6-4 victory in the set. Medvedev ultimately informed the umpire that he could not continue the match, granting Lehecka the win and a ticket to the semi-finals.
Lehecka’s journey to the semi-finals has been nothing short of remarkable, having previously ousted tennis legend Rafael Nadal in the last 16. The young Czech talent will now face Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in what promises to be an exciting clash on Friday.
Meanwhile, the other semi-final will feature Russian seventh seed Andrey Rublev against Taylor Fritz, seeded 12th. The tournament has seen its fair share of surprises, with top seed Jannik Sinner withdrawing due to a right hip injury, paving the way for Auger-Aliassime’s advancement.
