Nadal knocked out of Madrid Open semi

Second seeded Rafael Nadal was defeated by the ninth ranked player Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in the semifinals of the Madrid Open.

Nadal had won all their three previous encounters without even allowing a single set to 20-year-old Tsitsipas.

Tsitsipas, who is seeking his third title the season, will next play against top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who defeated Dominic Thiem 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) in another semifinal.

The Serbian will have a chance to tie Nadal for the most titles in Master 1000 tournaments with 33.

Nadal, still seeking his first title of the season, had also failed to make it to the final in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, tournaments he had won the last three consecutive seasons.