MADRID: The 18-years-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz avenged his country’s great Rafael Nadal with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 victory in a see-saw clash to set up a semi-final clash with the top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the ongoing Madrid Open.
Alcaraz, who suffered a second-round defeat in the 2021 Mutua Madrid Open against Nadal, bounced back to avenge his loss as the teenager displayed a resilliant effort to seal a scintillating victory over the 21-time Grand Slam champion.
Alcaraz survived a classic Nadal comeback and a painful second-set fall to win in a challenging two-hour, 29-minute clash on the clay.
In the first set, Alcaraz was untouchable, hitting 19 winners as Nadal battled to match the level and intensity of his opponent’s game. A mix of big baseline hitting and brilliant drop shots gained Alcaraz two more breaks as he raced to the first set victory.
The veteran, on the other hand, did not panic despite a strong start from his opponent and began to fire as he sensed a drop in Alcaraz’s level.
Nadal, who seemed favourite for his 12th appearance in the Madrid Open semi-finals, was denied the victory by incredible tenacity from his younger opponent.
The 18-years-old Spaniard will now lock horns with the top-ranked Djokovic in the semi-final as the two come face to face for the first time in an ATP tournament.
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