Casper Ruud was eliminated from the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday after Belgian rising star Alexander Blockx secured a straight-sets victory to reach the semi-finals.
The 21-year-old Belgian defeated the world number 15 6-4, 6-4 in Madrid, continuing his impressive run at the tournament.
Blockx controlled a large part of the match and benefited from a series of unforced errors by Ruud. He broke serve early in the opening set before Ruud briefly fought back to level the score at 4-4.
A key moment occurred in the ninth game when Ruud’s racket strings broke during a volley at the net, allowing Blockx to take advantage and take the lead 5-4 before serving out the set, according to Sporza.
The second set remained close, but Ruud struggled to convert his limited break point opportunities.
Blockx remained calm and produced a strong backhand winner down the line to earn another crucial break late in the match.
The Belgian ultimately won on his fourth match point and will now face Alexander Zverev or Flavio Cobolli in the semi-finals.
Blockx has now defeated several ranked opponents during his campaign in Madrid, including Francisco Cerundolo.
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