Adam Walton’s comprehensive defeat has signalled a dispiriting early end to Australia’s latest clay-court challenge at the Madrid Open in a display that bodes ominously for their hopes at the upcoming French Open.
The big event at the Caja Magica has not even entered its business week and there are no Australians left in either the WTA or ATP 1000 events, after none of the three men in qualifying nor four in the main draw managed to get past the second round and all four women were kayoed in their opening round.
The final victim on Saturday was Queenslander Walton, who had enjoyed the only Australian win of the week when he beat Spanish prospect Martin Landaluce in the first round.
Karen Khachanov ended the Australian challenge at the Madrid Open. (EPA PHOTO)
But up against 13th seed Karen Khachanov in the last-64, the world No.117 found the jump up in class too much as he succumbed 6-2 6-3, having had his serve broken four times in an hour and 20 minutes.
His defeat came the day after the most dispiriting Aussie loss of the week, when Alex de Minaur, the world No.8, was outhit and outplayed by 19-year-old Rafael Jodar, managing to take just four games off the rising Spanish teenager.
Even given the familiar struggles of Australian players in the clay-court swing dow the years, just one win over the whole week felt concerning with Roland Garros looming.
As it stands, there will be a guaranteed 11 Australian starters at the clay-court slam, including the returning Thanasi Kokkinakis, who’s been sidelined for the past three months with his shoulder injury.
The 30-year-old will employ his protected ranking of 84 to compete at Roland Garros alongside de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin, James Duckworth, Aleksandar Vukic and Rinky Hijikata.
The four women beaten in Madrid are also on the entry list for Paris – Talia Gibson, Daria Kasatkina, Kim Birrell and Ajla Tomljanovic – as is Maya Joint, who’s been sidelined with a back injury.
In Madrid, second seed Alexander Zverev eased through to the last-32 with a 6-1 3-6 6-3 win over Argentina’s Mariano Navone, while Casper Rudd continued his successful return from injury with a 6-0 6-1 hammering of Jaume Munar.