Félix Auger-Aliassime advanced to the first Masters-level final of his career after his Madrid semi-final opponent Jiri Lehecka bowed out midway through the first set.
With the score tied at 3-3, Lehecka requested a medical timeout due to lower back pain, but was unable to continue and retired. Auger-Aliasim thus won a third game in Madrid due to an injury to the opponent. In the third round, teenager Jakub Menschik failed to finish the match, and then the leader in the scheme Janik Siner did not come out at all for their meeting in the quarterfinals.
With his qualification for the 15th final in his career, the Canadian will return to the top 20 of the world rankings, and for the title he will argue with the Russian Andrey Rublev. /BGNES
