When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up forfor news on the biggest players and tournaments It’s the first clay-court competition that the trio have all entered with Federer back playing on the surface for the first time in three years. Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer all receive a bye through to the second round along with a number of other seeds. Nadal is arguably the king of clay though has struggled by his standards on the red dirt this year. The Spaniard crashed out of the Monte Carlo Masters at the semi-finals before being beaten at the same stage at the Barcelona Open.<doc-sep>Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat Dominic Thiem of Austria to reach the finals of the Madrid Open. The Match Thiem had a very good start and seemed to be carrying the momentum from his semifinal win against Federer. He broke Djokovic serve in the 3rd game of the first set (2-1) to take an early lead. Thiem, however, could not sustain the lead for long as Djokovic showed incredible defence to break Thiem’s serve in the 6th game (3-3). Again, the Serbian struggled to hold his serve against some skillful tennis from the world no.5 in the 9th game of the match but managed to save it (5-4). After that, both the players held their serve and the game went into a tiebreak. It proved to be an easy task for Djokovic who won the set 7-6(2). Both Djokovic and Thiem held their serve until the 5th game in the second set. The 6th game was a tough one for Djokovic as he struggled to keep his serve and was broken on the third break point in the game. Djokovic, however, was back in business breaking Thiem’s serve twice in the set to lead in the set (6-5). Djokovic had the chance to win the set but double-faulted to give away his service and to take the set in a tiebreak. Djokovic prevailed over Thiem in the tie break to win the set and the match 7-6(2) 7-6(4). With this win, Djokovic reached his third Madrid Open final beating Thiem in two hours and 22 minutes. This is the first final for Djokovic this season after winning the Australian Open. Djokovic will now play either Rafael Nadal or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.<doc-sep>At one point here, you could have entered any of the Caja Magica’s three main arenas and seen a Swiss player on the charge. Not bad for a country of 8.4 million, the majority of whom favour football and ice hockey over tennis. While Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and Belinda Bencic might cover a 16-year generational spectrum, they all possess perfect technique and can thread a ball through a cat flap if required. Those control freaks at the Lawn Tennis Association should note Switzerland’s laissez-faire approach, which leaves promising young prospects to make their own developmental decisions. All three members of the cuckoo-clock club scored victories, but it was Bencic who will remember the day most warmly. For the second time this season, she overcame world No 1 Naomi Osaka, producing stinging service returns to fight back from a 5-3 deficit in the deciding set. Her reward is a semi-final on Friday against Simona Halep, the French Open champion. Bencic’s return to relevance – she will climb to at least No 15 in the world on Monday – feels particularly heartwarming after she was subjected to one of the worst nightmares for any player: surgery on her wrist tendons. Having risen so quickly that she won a main-draw match at the Australian Open while still only 16, it seemed that she might disappear down the same plug hole as Britain’s Laura Robson – another teenage prodigy whose wrists gave up on her.<doc-sep>Published 05/11/2019, 4:42 PM PDT The Caja Magica in Madrid resonated with ‘Vamos Rafa’ jingles in the Saturday’s night session, but it was the 20-year-old Greek, Stefanos Tsitsipas who blew out the ‘King of Clay’, Rafael Nadal in his home ground. He defeated Rafa 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 at the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open 2019. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Now, the World Number nine, Tsitsipas has unlocked his victories against the ‘Big Three’ of tennis as he has now defeated, Novak Djokovic in Canada, Roger Federer in Australia and Rafael Nadal in his home country. In the Madrid Open finals, Tsitsipas will face the World Number one, Novak Djokovic. Rafael Nadal The Spaniard, Rafa felt the atmospheric conditions hindered his play in today’s match. “It’s not been a good match,” Rafael Nadal said.“I fought and did a couple of good things mentally. I trained around 5 pm & it was very hot but it was more windy, colder. I felt the ball better yesterday. It’s not been my best night. My opponent has been better when that happens you lose.” ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Rafael Nadal has accepted his loss with sanguinity and he is pragmatic with such oscillations in life. And he also believes that his insane dominance on the sludge was probably a fantasy world. “What happened tonight is what happens in real life. What happened in the last 14 years on clay is not the normality,” Rafa added. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The second seed in Madrid is unhappy with his tonight’s performance, Rafael Nadal believes his game was not up to the mark. “My feeling is that it was more about me.” He continued. “That’s my truth, maybe not the truth, but mine. I don’t think I would lose the match if I played like Barcelona 2018 or Australia this year.” Stefanos Tsitsipas defeats Rafael Nadal in Madrid Later, Rafael Nadal bantered Tsitsipas.“I wouldn’t want to play with Tsitsipas as a junior without an umpire because he doesn’t know the difference between a ball in and a ball out. I’m joking (Nadal laughed)”, Rafa mentioned. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The Spanish World Number two, Nadal had a disappointing tenure on the ATP circuit, since his Australian Open 2019 final loss. His clay season continues to be melancholic as he trounces in the semifinals of all the three clay contests that he played. And the 17-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal is yet to collect a title in the tennis season 2019.<doc-sep>
Rafael Nadal’s slump on clay continued with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 loss to ninth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open. It was the third straight semifinal elimination for Nadal, and the first time the Spaniard has missed out on a final on clay through the first week of May since 2004, per Ben Rothenberg. Tsitsipas will try to win his third title of the year in a final against top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who defeated Dominic Thiem 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) and will have a chance to tie Nadal for the most titles in Master 1000 tournaments with 33. In the women’s final, Kiki Bertens beat two-time Madrid champion Simona Halep 6-4, 6-4. Stream over 50 sports live & anytime on your TV or favourite device with KAYO SPORTS. The biggest Aussie sports and the best from overseas. Just $25/month. No lock-in contract. Get your 14 day free trial > Nadal, still seeking his first title of the season, had also failed to make it to the final in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, tournaments he had won the last three consecutive seasons. “I have not played well enough,” admitted Nadal. “I’ve won a lot for many years on this surface but this year it hasn’t been like that.” The 20-year-old Tsitsipas converted on his fourth match point to close out the victory against the second-ranked Nadal on the Magic Box center court. “I’m really happy that I managed to keep my nerves down and fight back. Probably one of the toughest victories I’ve had in my life,” Tsitsipas said. “Adding variety and being unpredictable was the key today.” Tsitsipas will be playing in his fourth final of the season and will have a chance to become the first player to win three titles this year, adding to his triumphs in Estoril and Marseille. He is the tour’s winningest player in 2019 with 27 wins. Nadal, who was yet to lose a set in Madrid this year, had beaten Tsitsipas all three previous times they played, without losing a set, including in the semifinals of the Australian Open. “I really liked my fighting spirit,” Tsitsipas said. “I went on the court and I was mentally prepared for a fight.”