Casper Ruud crashed out of the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday after Belgium’s rising star Alexander Blok won in straight sets to reach the semi-finals.
The 21-year-old Belgian continued his impressive form in the tournament with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over the world number 15 in Madrid.
Bloxx controlled the majority of the match and took advantage of a series of unforced errors from Roode. He broke serve early in the opening set, before Ruud battled back briefly to level at 4-4.
A key moment came in the ninth game when Ruud’s racket strings broke during a volley at the net, giving Blox the advantage and leading 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.
Blox maintained its composure and produced a strong backhand winner down the line to grab another vital break at the end of the match.
The Belgian eventually won his fourth match point and will now face either Alexander Zverev or Flavio Coboli in the semi-finals.
BlockEx has now defeated several seeded opponents, including Francisco Cerundolo, during his Madrid campaign.
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