Nadal Powers Past Cachin In 3, No Rest With Lehecka 4R Tues At Madrid Masters; Alcaraz v Struff

by Staff | April 29th, 2024, 7:36 pm
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Rafael Nadal had his first three set match since January but prevailed 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 over Pedro Cachin to reach the fourth round of the Madrid Masters.

Cachin served for the second at 5-4 but failed though managed to extend it to three in the breaker. Nadal would quickly rebound getting the early break and then holding on for the win in just over three hours.

“Some moments were good, some moments not good, but I found a way to go through,” the 5-time champion Nadal said to the ATP. “In the third set, even with some mistakes, I was able to be a little more unpredictable and that probably changed the match.”


The 37-year-old Nadal won’t have much time to rest as he’ll go up against the dangerous Jiri Lehecka tomorrow night.

“I am enjoying. Let’s see how I wake up tomorrow,” Nadal added. “I don’t know. Day by day I am enjoying playing at home, it means everything to me. I am trying my best to keep dreaming. Tomorrow is another day to keep dreaming. To keep playing in front of this amazing crowd and to me that means everything.”

Third-seeded Daniil Medvedev won a tester over the 25th-seeded Sebastian Korda in a match that went the distance 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3.

Korda had a break chance in the middle of the second and would never get another again.

Medvedev is back tomorrow to face Alexander Bublik who he has never lost to leading 5-0.

Top seed Jannik Sinner rallied from 5-3 down in the second to deny Pavel Kotov his biggest career win with a 6-2, 7-5 victory. Afterward, the Italian indicated he’s been battling a hip issue.

“I have been struggling a little bit with my right hip,” Sinner said. “We’re trying to find a solution and I don’t think it’s anything serious. Sometimes I feel it more like today and some days are a little bit better.

“I have a good team behind me and we’ll try to get my body going for tomorrow and we’ll decide tomorrow what’s best for me and what’s best for the body.”

Also on Monday as the third round closed, Casper Ruud got the better of No. 29 Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-4. Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced after 18-year-old Jakub Mensik retired down 6-1, 1-0 and No. 16 Karen Khachanov got the better of Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 7-5, 6-4.

Tomorrow, all eight fourth round matches are slated.

The Tuesday slate boasts fourth round action led by No. 1 Jannik Sinner faces No. 16 Karen Khachanov, Sinner leads Khachanov 2-1 in their tour-level clashes. Sinner was victorious in their most recent clash in the R32 at 2021 Miami Masters.

No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz returns to face No. 23 Jan-Lennard Struff in rematch of their 2023 Madrid final. Alcaraz won that and leads the German 2-1.

“I think I’m in a good shape right now. I’m not feeling anything in the forearm, and I played good tennis,” Alcaraz said Sunday. “Obviously I’m not hitting my forehand on my 100%, let’s say, or in the way that I used to hitting, you know, before feeling something in the forearm, but I’m just focused to hitting the forehand as much relaxed as I can and going, you know, in front, let’s say.

“I’m really happy with the things that I’m doing in the forearm. I’m really happy to be competitive without pain, but I’m still focused every day in that.”

No. 4 Alexander Zverev takes on No. 21 Francisco Cerundolo, Ruud draws Auger-Aliassime, No. 7 Andrey Rublev gets No. 24 Tallon Griekspoor and No. 8 Hubert Hurkacz faces No. 12 Taylor Fritz.


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