By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Living legend Rafael Nadal saw his bid for a sixth Madrid Open title fall after suffering a sweeping loss at the hands of Jiri Lehecka- 5.7, 4.6- on May 1, 2024, at the Caja Magica in Manzanares Park, San Fermin, Spain.
After pulling off a sensational win against Alex de Minaur during their Round of 32 clash, the 22-time Grand Slam champion failed to maintain his intensity against his younger opponent and went flat in all of the two sets.
It was still anybody’s ball game in the first set until Lehecka scored a crucial break point that shattered Nadal’s chances of grabbing a momentum-boosting win.
Nadal started the match with a series of unfortunate errors and tried to minimize the freebies by playing safe in the baseline area.
However, the Czech challenger’s relentlessness in attacking Nadal rose to the occasion and forced him to change his pace midway through the first set.
After the breakpoint, Lehecka continued to hold his service possession while also holding his ground against Nadal’s top-spin forehand strokes to grab a 1-0 lead.
Despite Nadal coming out smoking hot in the following set after scoring two straight forehand winners, Lehecka came right back with his own return points to stay within the course and neutralize his shot-making ability.
Shades of the first set then came midway in the second after Lehecka scored another break point that officially fended off Nadal’s comeback attempt.
“It was a very special week for me, very positive and very emotional. I had the opportunity to play one more time here on this court. All I can say is thank you to everyone that has helped me in my career. It hasn’t finished yet,” said Nadal after the game.
