Novak Djokovic soothes to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Hubert Hurkacz on Friday as he steps up to the semi-finals of the Madrid Open where he faces a solid Spanish test.
Djokovic, a three-time champion in Madrid, had little difficulty on the outdoor clay versus Hurkacz, whose poor hitting concluded any thoughts of a quarterfinal upset.
Rafael Nadal played Carlos Alcaraz later Friday on center court at the ‘Caja Mágica’ with fans eager to see two generations of Spanish tennis clash.
Nadal, who at 35 has triumphed a record 21 Grand Slam titles, will meet Alcaraz, 19, acclaimed by many in Spain as his possible heir.
Nadal, who has triumphed their previous two games, stated Alcaraz was favourite to win as he is in better shape.
Nadal is coming back from a six-week injury dismissal and revealed that he could not prepare properly for the tourney, with his focus on the French Open later this month.
Nadal had to save 4 match points in his three-set victory over David Goffin in the third round.
Speaking in Spanish, Djokovic stated he will be watching Nadal play against Alcaraz.
“(I will be) more relaxed because I won today, but one thing is sure: tomorrow I will face a Spanish rival,” Djokovic stated.
