ATP

Alcaraz books Nadal semi-final showdown at 6 Kings Slam after roaring past Rune

By Sports Desk October 16, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz set up a mouth-watering 6 Kings Slam semi-final showdown with Rafael Nadal after a straight-sets win over Holger Rune.

The winner of this season's French Open and Wimbledon, the Spaniard took just 72 minutes to wrap up a commanding 6-4 6-2 victory in Riyadh.

The first set was neck and neck until game nine, when Alcaraz broke before holding to 15 to move halfway towards victory.

The four-time major champion then broke in games three and five to take complete control of the second set, which he eventually wrapped up to book what could be one last showdown with the retiring Nadal.

"I tried to adapt my game a bit to the conditions on the court," he said during his on-court post-match interview. 

"At the beginning, I struggled a little bit with my returns. I had to find the solutions, but once I did, I started to play better and better, and he struggled a little bit more than me."

On the prospect of facing Nadal, he added: "Since I started playing tennis, I have watched his matches. He's still my idol. He's been a really important person for my life and my career. He was one of the reasons I wanted to become a professional tennis player.

"Playing against him once again is going to be tough for me, but I'm going to try and enjoy it. I'm going to go full power; he's going to be stronger than ever before."

Data Debrief: Solid service from Alcaraz

Alcaraz will be relishing the prospect of going head to head once more with Nadal, who he partnered in the men's doubles at the Paris Olympics.

The world number two set up the clash after a dominant display on serve. Indeed, he won all nine service games, winning 37 of 45 points, and hit six aces while not facing a single break point.

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