Indian Wells Masters LIVE: Rafael Nadal Beat Carlos Alcaraz for FINALS Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a long-lasting battle before winning the semis tie 6-4,4-6,6-3 and book his finals berth. With this win, Nadal stretched his unbeaten streak to 20 games and will take on American Taylor Fritz for the trophy. Follow Indian Wells Masters Finals LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN
Indian Wells Masters LIVE: Master Rafael Nadal Beat Carlos Alcaraz in 3 hours and 12 minutes to reach Indian Wells final
20-0 🤩
3-time champion @RafaelNadal defeats Alcaraz in 3 hours and 12 minutes to reach the final!
He’ll face Taylor Fritz tomorrow…#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/Ie33BFjj9H
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 20, 2022
Indian Wells Masters LIVE: Rafael Nadal Beat Carlos Alcaraz for FINALS: Nadal is off to a personal-best 20-0 start to the season with titles at a Melbourne ATP 250, the Australian Open and Acapulco. If the fourth seed defeats Fritz on Sunday, he will tie Novak Djokovic for the most ATP Masters 1000 titles in history with 37.
It was a notable scene as cameras followed Nadal and Alcaraz on their golf-cart ride to the court in the California desert. Nadal, a legendary figure throughout the sports world, was on the back of the cart, intense as ever. Alcaraz, who was in the middle row, is touted as the future of Spanish tennis and, perhaps, the ATP Tour.
Indian Wells Masters LIVE: Master Rafael Nadal Beat Carlos Alcaraz in 3 hours and 12 minutes to reach Indian Wells final
Little did they know that not only would they have to deal with each other’s skills, but an extended period of massive wind gusts. Following a gruelling, high-quality first set, the wind picked up to such an extent that towels and garbage from the stands flew across the court, the singles sticks became displaced, and the match became a battle of footwork adjustments more than bludgeoned winners.
“This is not tennis. This is survival,” former World No. 1 Jim Courier said on Tennis Channel during the second set.
“The net looks like a sail,” longtime coach and courtside analyst Paul Annacone added.
Indian Wells Masters LIVE: Rafael Nadal Beat Carlos Alcaraz for FINALS Despite the winds, both players raised their level in the decider. At 3-3, the fans rose to their feet out of respect for the players’ efforts, especially Nadal’s incredible reflexes at the net, which even left his own team shaking their heads in disbelief.
In the end, Nadal’s unrelenting pressure proved decisive. The 35-year-old earned the decisive break at 4-3 when he cracked a huge forehand up the line and rushed to the net to put away a high forehand volley. That was his sixth break of the match, and the one that allowed him to finally overcome the teen’s commendable resistance.
Indian Wells Masters LIVE: Master Rafael Nadal Beat Carlos Alcaraz in 3 hours and 12 minutes to reach Indian Wells final
Eighteen-year-old Alcaraz saved 15 of the 20 break points he has faced through two sets, but failing to save the only one he faced in the decider proved fatal. The second-youngest semi-finalist in Indian Wells tournament history (behind 17-year-old Andre Agassi in 1988) fought until the last ball, but Rafa would not be denied.
The pair clashed for the first time last year on clay in Madrid, where Nadal triumphed 6-1, 6-2 in just 78 minutes behind five service breaks. But it was clear from the first game that today’s Alcaraz has made big strides in the 10 months since that meeting, when the teen had still not cracked the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings.
Your finalists in the @BNPPARIBASOPEN 🔥@RafaelNadal v. @Taylor_Fritz97 #IndianWells pic.twitter.com/NuRXlZrb8E
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 20, 2022
Now World No. 19 and climbing higher by the week, Alcaraz came out firing. He launched groundstrokes without fear, overwhelming Nadal, who so often imposes his will physically on opponents. That helped the 18-year-old to an early break after he crushed a laser-like crosscourt backhand winner. He then saved five break points in the next game to consolidate it.
Indian Wells Masters LIVE: Master Rafael Nadal Beat Carlos Alcaraz in 3 hours and 12 minutes to reach Indian Wells final
But nobody bullies Nadal, which the 35-year-old proved throughout the rest of the set. As aggressive as Alcaraz was, he also made some untimely errors that put him under pressure. And once fourth-seeded Nadal worked his way into the match, he showed no intention of letting go.
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The perfect send off…@RafaelNadal @alcarazcarlos03 pic.twitter.com/tYKrAAe7QQ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 20, 2022
The legendary lefty earned a jaw-dropping 17 break points in the opener, claiming three of them. Although Alcaraz showed his own grit and determination by saving most of those chances and getting back on serve after losing four consecutive games, he found himself on the back foot in games far too often.
Indian Wells Masters LIVE: Master Rafael Nadal Beat Carlos Alcaraz in 3 hours and 12 minutes to reach Indian Wells final
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