(VIDEO) Sheer frustration: Jiri Lehecka destroys racquet after being forced to retire from career best Madrid Open semi-final
ATP
Jiri Lehecka was forced to retire from his match against Felix Auger-Aliassime at 3-3 in the first set at the Madrid Open and took his frustration out on his racquet as expected given the point of the tournament he reached.
Lehecka was having a career best run including beating Rafael Nadal earlier in the tournament as well as Daniil Medvedev technically albeit by walkover. But it seemed that while Lehecka was the beneficiary in the previous round, he was the unlucky one in the semi-finals.
He had withdrawn from a couple of events prior to Madrid and it seemed those issues have reared their head again when he didn't need disruption. Auger-Aliassime as a result had the weird run of three of his matches ending as walk-overs as he faces Andrey Rublev tomorrow in the final. For Lehecka, it was an unfortunate end to a great tournament.
Watch the video below.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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