The young Spaniard, just 19 years old, will once again face the man who was his idol and who is today his great rival in Spanish tennis. The last time was just over a month ago when the 20 Grand Slam winner beat the Murcian in an agonizing match.
Spain is revolutionized with the duel that will take place this Friday at the Caja Mágica in Madrid. Rafael Nadal (4th) will face Carlos Alcaraz (9th) for the third time . Past, present and future, together on the most important ground, of the most important tournament that the European country has.
And at the confrontation they will arrive exhausted, but hungry. Alcaraz because he knows that Rafa is close to him and that only details leave him without celebrating the last time they saw each other. Nadal on the other hand, because he is a competitive animal at heart. He knows all the attention the confrontation with his heir receives, and in his house he does not want to give him the throne.
But the match will not be easy for the Spaniard. He comes without tennis and suffers in his last matches . Indeed, in the round of 16, against Goffin, he showed a facet of extreme fatigue and a clear fall in the second set. Either way, he won like so many other times. Fighter and gritted teeth, with a champion’s badge and with the legend of being one of the best in history. The 3 hours he played today against the Belgian will affect but Rafa is bulletproof.
Carlos, for his part, will arrive on the center court of the Spanish stadium with just turned 19 and with at least 7th place in the world secured once his week is over. Ever growing and exploding, the Ferrero-led youngster knows this could be his big chance to defeat Nadal. In Indian Wells he was close, but he couldn’t tie it up.
More precisely, it will be the third time they will face each other, since in this same scenario, they faced each other exactly one year ago, just when the young Spaniard came of age. On this occasion, it was a 6-1, 6-2 victory for Manacor. But of this Carlos there is little left.
Today he is world class and the matchup against his idol seems like the perfect setting to show it. Madrid’s height and Nadal’s slow pace give Alcaraz an edge . But Rafa is Rafa. In conclusion, a match to frame and enjoy. All of Spain will do it. Once again you will see two of the best they have ever had, face to face on the clay courts of Madrid. In Chile, we can see it on the screens, not before 10 a.m. this Friday .
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Source: Latercera
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
