Carlos Alcaraz’s against Novak Djokovic was one of the most anticipated duels in recent weeks, since the Murcian showed in Miami that he was capable of beating anyone and lift an important trophy. There was a desire to see face to face on a tennis court the number one in the world and the young man destined to occupy the throne sooner rather than later, with the permission of the Serbian and the great Rafa Nadal, whom he defeated yesterday. That dream confrontation will take place this Saturday (not before 4:00 p.m., La 1 and Movistar) in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open.
The Magic Box will vibrate again with a meeting of the highest level and with an uncertain prognosis, with the question of whether the sprained ankle will reduce Alcaraz’s performance. “For now, I will say that it is fine. I will do everything in my power to recover it and so that it is not at 100%, but at 200”, warned the Murcian. If he manages to stabilize him, no one will dare to say that he does not see him with options to surprise the Serbian, who passed after winning 6-3, 6-4 in 81 minutes with good feelings and little wear. He has only been on court for 2h49 during the tournament, because he beat Monfils in 1h28 and did not have to play in the round of 16 on Thursday against Murray, who resigned due to illness.
“I’m going to play the same as against Rafa. He’s one of the best in history, but I’m going to try to leave without thinking about it. I’m going to win, which is my essence. Training with him (last Monday) helps me know how to approach the game”, explained Carlitos, who admitted that day that the Balkan had given him a good beating. Alcaraz knows what it is to beat the top players. Especially after knocking down Nadal himself. Now he’s going for another member of the Big Three nothing to lose.
Praise to Spanish
Djokovic was full of praise for his next rival: “There are many things that make him special. Today we are not used to seeing a teenager in the top-10 and playing at this level. The last six months of him have been incredible and I love watching him play. It’s fantastic for our sport. Off the track he is a very nice guy, great. Knowing that he is humble and that he has good values, he has the perfect combination.” Nole stated that he did not prefer to see Nadal instead of Alcaraz. “I focus on myself,” he answered. Even Rafa believes that Carlos has options to win: “He can perfectly. I don’t see any reason to think not. He has the level to beat anyone in the world.”
Results of the Mutua Madrid Open ATP