Carlos Alcaraz built up for the epic semi-final contest against his idol Rafael Nadal at the first Six Kings Slam in Riyadh after moving through to a straight-sets win over Holger Rune. Now he sets his sights on the much-anticipated showdown with Nadal, which will tie their head-to-head record at 2-2 before retirement.
He professes that the great affinity shared with Nadal, who is 38 years old, will not be enough to determine their outcome as they are set for a semi-final collision. "Nadal is hitting the ball well and I'm not surprised at all. He's always been a legend, and even after months away from tennis, he'll come back stronger," Alcaraz said after the win. "I'm going to go full power," he said.
Surely the prospect of £4.6m going to be claimed by the eventual winner will turn on the juice for Alcaraz in this exhibition tournament. He holds Nadal in high regard indeed and has often credited him with being a key inspiration for him. But winning today and turning up for Saturday's final against the high flyer is just what he is focused on. Earlier in the tournament, Jannik Sinner had staged a domineering display as he trounced Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-3 in his quarterfinal match. Riding on the momentum of his Shanghai Masters win in which he overthrew Novak Djokovic, the 22-year-old Italian continued his high run of form in Riyadh
The splashing display staged by the young Italian left Medvedev frustrated and unable to respond appropriately. Sinner tore the first set apart, winning all six games as Medvedev was hardly allowed to get his nose in front. The Russian at least managed to get on the scoreboard in the second set, though a mid-set break by Sinner sent Medvedev melting down, sending his racquet hurtling down into the stand. Sinner hammered home the fifth break of serve to win the match, showing why he's world No. 1 before a semi-final rematch against Djokovic.
Reflecting on his match, Sinner was satisfied with how he played, especially during this hour of low preparation. "It was a very good performance considering I only had one practice session after arriving from Shanghai," said Sinner. "I've worked hard to be in this position and moments like this make it all worthwhile." Now, Alcaraz will face his master, Nadal, in the semi-finals, while Sinner looks to defeat Djokovic once again. Tennis fans can't wait for matches this high-profile as the Six Kings Slam has brought out some thrilling action on the field.
