Madrid Open Quarterfinals LIVE: Alcaraz beats Nadal – Carlos Alcaraz clinched one of his biggest victories of his career as he defeated his compatriot and 21-time Grand Slam Champion Rafael Nadal 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of Madrid Open on Friday. With the victory, the 19-year old created history by becoming the first-ever teenager to beat Rafael Nadal on clay courts in the history of ATP tournaments. Follow all the Madrid Open live updates on InsideSport.IN
Madrid Open Quarterfinals LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz beats idol Rafael Nadal for the first-time in his career, sets up clash with Novak Djokovic in semifinal
🌟 H I S T O R I C 🌟@alcarazcarlos03 beats Nadal for the very first time – becoming the first-ever teenager to defeat Rafa on clay!#MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/l6z9IloMQM
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 6, 2022
Alcaraz straightaway got into the act in the opening set by breaking Nadal in the very first game. Despite Nadal bouncing back to break Alcaraz immediately in the next game, the 19-year old dominated the proceedings with clever baseline hitting and drop shots as he continued to break Nadal twice and won the set 6-2.
In the second set, after the end of three games, Nadal led 2-1 as both the players won their respective service games. However, towards the end of the third game, Alcaraz had to take a medical time-out after twisting his ankle. His right ankle was heavily strapped and that made him lose his momentum a bit. Nadal took full advantage of the situation as he got a double break over the 19-year old and won the second set with an easy 6-1 victory.
Alcaraz then recovered quickly at the start of the third set. He continued to challenge his senior compatriot and broke Nadal in the fourth game to extend his lead. He then continued to hold his serve and won the game 6-3 to become the first-ever teenager to topple the great Rafael Nadal on clay.
“It means a lot to me,” said Alcaraz after defeating his idol. “All the hard work that I put in every day pays off today. To beat Rafa, to beat the best player in history on clay, it means a lot to me,” he added.
After beating Nadal, the teenager will next face 20-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in the semifinal.
Madrid Open Quarterfinals LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz beats idol Rafael Nadal for the first-time in his career, sets up clash with Novak Djokovic in semifinal
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