Image Credits - CNN
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz square off in the first semi-final of the Madrid Open 2022 on Saturday, May 7th.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been in a ruthless mood at the Madrid Open this year. The Serbian is playing only his 4th tournament of the season and it appears that he is keen on winning his first title in 2022.
Djokovic began his campaign with a crushing 6-3, 6-2 win over Gael Monfils in the round of 32 before getting a walkover in the last 16 after Andy Murray withdrew from the tournament due to illness. The 34-year-old then made light work of Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals, beating the Pole in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.
Now, the 20-time Grand Slam winner faces one of his toughest challenges on clay this year in the form of Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday.
After beating the ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open, Carlos Alcaraz now has the chance to beat the World No. 1 on Saturday. The 19-year-old began his tournament by thrashing Nikoloz Basilashvilli 6-3, 7-5 in the round of 32 before beating Cameron Norris in three sets in the following stage of the competition.
Alcaraz is 25-3 on the year and also played against Djokovic earlier this week in a friendly match. He will surely be hoping to slay down another tennis icon at the Spanish tournament as he continues to build a solid reputation for himself.
| Date | Saturday, 7th May |
| Court type | Outdoor clay court |
| Watch | Amazon Prime app |
| Start time | 7:30 PM IST |
| Venue | Park Manzanares in Madrid, Spain – Manolo Santana Stadium |
| Match details | Semifinal match |
Djokovic and Alcaraz have never faced each other on the ATP Tour. Saturday’s encounter will be their first match.
While Djokovic has looked extremely sharp at the Madrid Open this year, Alcaraz will surely be high on confidence after beating Nadal. Nevertheless, we predict a win for Djokovic in three sets.
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