The Balearic achieved 20-0 and will go for his fourth title in 2022 despite the fact that the young man from Murcia took him to the limit
MADRID, 20 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal defeated (6-4, 4-6, 6-3) his young compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in a fast-paced semifinal of more than three hours in the Indian Wells tournament, to stretch his unbeaten record to 20-0 and make a four of four in finals, full that he will seek in titles against the American Taylor Fritz.
The Master gave the apprentice one more lesson, although Alcaraz showed that he is not far from claiming an important place in the history of Spanish tennis. The national duel of generations left a tremendous exchange of two players in fullness, despite the fact that they take 17 years. Alcaraz took Nadal to the limit, but the champion of 21 ‘big’ refused to give up a symbolic relief.
The evolution of the Murcian, who won his first match in a Masters 1,000 last year in Madrid, has been meteoric, and after showing it here against Bautista, Monfils or Norrie, he knew how to manage the pressure of playing against his idol to maintain the level. Alcaraz entered with everything again, broke Nadal’s serve to start and would have tremendous effectiveness on break balls.
In addition, the Murcian knew how to defend himself against the immediate reaction of the Balearic, but both found their moment of dominance. Nadal was encouraged and Alcaraz lost the lead entering a Numantine defense until the man from Manacor scored his fifth set point (6-4). It seemed perhaps too much for Alcaraz, even more so with the appearance of the wind with sand in the second set, which caused interruptions and very complicated conditions.
The Murcian was slow to assimilate the blow, but when the first break ball appeared, he took advantage of it (2-3). Serving and playing in general became a problem due to the wind and there were breaks. In a 20-minute ninth game, after seven break balls, the Murcian made it 4-5 with a lob and forced the third.
Even the wind wanted to sit down to witness the outcome, because the streaks stopped and both were able to get their big moment again. The party won in long exchanges and the audacity of an Alcaraz appeared who went on to dominate. After making it 4-3, Nadal asked for a physio due to some discomfort in his chest, his foot seems to have caused no problems, and on the way back he found the door open for a ‘break’ that would no longer have an answer.
A quick outcome to what had been the battle, but with the forceful signature of a Nadal who predicts the successful future of Alcaraz, but who decided that he did not have to hand over the baton himself. The three-time champion in the Californian desert will seek his fourth title of 2022 on Sunday, after the Melbourne and Acapulco tournaments and the Australian Open, and the 92nd of his career.