The big-hitting Czech won 7-5 6-4 in the Spanish capital.
Rafael Nadal’s run at the Madrid Open came to a screeching halt after he was outgunned in a straight-sets loss by Jiri Lehecka.
Nadal’s first defeat to a player ranked outside the world’s top 20 on his beloved clay marks his final appearance in the Spanish capital, where he has won the tournament a record five times.“I had the opportunity to play one more time here on this court,” said Nadal afterwards. “It was a very special week for me, very positive and very emotional.”
He thrashed 16-year-old Darwin Blanch for the loss of one game then avenged his defeat in Barcelona to 10th seed Alex de Minaur before winning a titanic three-hour tussle against Argentina’s Pedro Cachin. But Lehecka broke to love in the 11th before serving out to take a one-set lead, and Nadal again dropped serve at the start of the second.While Nadal attempted to use his looping top-spin forehand to claw his way back into the match, he was unable to impose himself on the serve of Lehecka, who faced and saved just one break point.
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