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Hubert Hurkacz’s hopes of matching his best performance at the French Open were dashed as he suffered a defeat against Juan Pablo Varillas. In a gruelling five-set battle, Varillas emerged victorious with a scoreline of 3:6, 6:3, 7:6, 4:6, 6:2. Hurkacz played most of the match with a groin injury. Varillas will now face Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.
Hurkacz, ranked 14th in the ATP rankings, started strongly against the 94th-ranked Varillas. He dominated the first set with a 3:0 lead and managed to break his opponent’s backhand.
However, Varillas made a comeback in the second set, and Hurkacz suffered an injury during the match, taking a brief medical break. Despite his efforts, Hurkacz lost the second set 3:6.
The third set was closely contested, ending in a tie-breaker, which Varillas won 7:6. Hurkacz fought back in the fourth set, winning it 6:4. Both players experienced medical issues, with Varillas having a problem with his right shoulder, but it was quickly resolved.
The decisive fifth set saw Varillas dominate the match and secure a 6:2 victory. Despite the pain from his injury, Hurkacz continued to play but ultimately had to concede defeat to Varillas. The match lasted precisely three hours and forty-five minutes.
“Another marathon, but this time without a happy end. Hubert Hurkacz lost against Juan Pablo Varillas 6:3, 3:6, 6:7(3), 6:4, and 2:6 in the R3. Now it’s time for a rest and then, grass season,” Tennis News wrote on Twitter.
Hubert Hurkacz – Juan Pablo Varillas 2-3 (6-3, 3-6, 6-7, 6-4, 2-6)