Rafael Nadal battled past Carlos Alcaraz and the elements on Saturday, beating his talented young Spanish compatriot 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to book an ATP Indian Wells Masters title clash with American Taylor Fritz.
Nadal, who claimed a record-setting 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, improved to 20-0 in 2022. Nadal was pushed all the way through three hours and 12 minutes by the 18-year-old aiming to follow in the footsteps of his childhood idol. “I think [it] was my best match so far in the tournament in terms of level,” Nadal said.
“In the third I played with great determination against a very difficult player to play. He’s great. He has a lot of amazing things.” The array of shots and athleticism that have already stamped Alcaraz a star were on full display in a match that saw gusting winds buffet the players in the second set, sending debris skittering across the court and at one point forcing a readjustment of the billowing net.
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