MADRID (AP) – Andy Murray withdrew his clash against Novak Djokovic at the Madrid Open on Thursday due to an upset stomach.
The announcement came shortly before Murray had to go on the court against top Djokovic in the third round.
This would be the first time Murray and Djokovic have played against each other since Djokovic won the 2017 Doha final.
Murray won his first two games in Madrid, defeating Dominic Thiem and Denis Shapovalov. The former No. 1 had not won a series of games since January and had not played in a clay court tournament in nearly two years.
Ranked 78th in the world, the 34-year-old Murray is making his way up the list after hip surgery in 2018 and 2019. He arrived in Madrid with a record 10-8 in eight tournaments. He lost the final in Sydney to Aslan Karatsev in January.
Tour officials did not provide more details about Murray’s illness. After the victory over Shapovalov, he said he was feeling well physically.
With the withdrawal of Murray Djokovic, he automatically qualified for the quarterfinals – his second of the year after losing the final to Serbia last month. He lost his first game in Monte Carlo in his first clay court tournament of the season.
Djokovic is also trying to regain his best form after he was not allowed to play in the Australian Open because he was not vaccinated. This is only his fourth tournament of the season. The Serbian opened in Madrid with a victory in two sets against Gael Monfils.
Third-placed Rafael Nadal, in his first tournament after a six-week break, faces David Goffin, while Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaras, who is celebrating his 19th birthday, faces Cameron Nori.
Andrei Rublev, who beat Djokovic in the final in Serbia, advanced to the quarterfinals after a tough 7-6 (7) 7-5 fight, beating Daniel Evans in nearly two and a half hours. The sixth placed Rublev realized only three of his 12 breakthrough opportunities.
Defending champion Alexander Zverev meets qualifier Lorenzo Musetti. The fourth placed Stefanos Tsitsipas faces Gregor Dimitrov.
In the women’s semifinals, eighth-placed Ons Jabeur faces qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova, while 12th-placed American Jessica Pegula faces Jill Taichman.
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