Casper Ruud knocked out of Madrid Open as Alexander Blockx storms into semifinal

Casper Ruud was knocked out of the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday after Belgian rising star Alexander Blockx secured a straight-sets victory to reach the semifinals.

The 21-year-old Belgian defeated the world number 15 by a score of 6-4, 6-4 in Madrid, continuing his impressive run at the tournament.

Blockx controlled much of the match and capitalised on a series of unforced errors from Ruud. He broke serve early in the opening set before Ruud briefly fought back to level at 4-4.

A key moment came in the the ninth game when Ruud’s racket strings snapped during a volley at the net, allowing Blockx to take advantage and move ahead 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 stayed composed and produced a strong backhand winner down the line to earn another crucial break late in the match.

The Belgian eventually sealed victory on his fourth match point and will now face either Alexander Zverev or Flavio Cobolli in the semifinals.

Blockx has now beaten several seeded opponents during his Madrid campaign, including Francisco Cerundolo.