The world's best players, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, will fight for the Six Kings Slam crown in Riyadh on Saturday. In an all-Spanish semi-final battle, Alcaraz took down the 22-time Major Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-3 in an hour and 18 minutes, arranging the clash against the world's best player.
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Nadal is playing his penultimate tournament before retirement, falling to his young compatriot and setting the third-place clash with his greatest rival, Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz faced no break points and kept the pressure on the other side.
He pushed the rival's second serve to the limits and turned 40% of the return points into three breaks from six opportunities. Rafa fought well in most of his service games, overcoming a dreadful start and challenging a much younger rival.
However, the 21-year-old delivered two breaks in the opener and one in set number two, moving over the top and hoping for more against world no. 1 in two days. Carlos served well in the opening set, turning almost half of the return points into two breaks from four opportunities.
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Carlos Alcaraz defeated Rafael Nadal in the Six Kings Slam semi-final.
The young gun fired a forehand winner in the first point of the encounter and notched a break at love after the veteran's lob mistake.
World no. 2 held at love in the second game with a service winner, rattling off the opening eight points and settling into a fine rhythm. The 22-time Major champion recovered his strokes in the third game, landing a volley winner and holding at love to reduce the deficit and get his name on the scoreboard.
He reached a deuce on the return in the fourth game before Carlos held with a service winner, opening a 3-1 advantage. Rafa provided two more comfortable holds in games five and seven, firing a service winner and reducing the gap to 4-3.
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Alcaraz drew Nadal's mistake in the eighth game, moving 5-3 in front and forcing the legend to serve to stay in the set. After three commanding holds, Rafa faced issues and offered his opponent two set points. The veteran denied them and squandered game points that could have kept him in contention.
The young gun generated the third set point and converted it with a forehand down the line winner, wrapping up the opener 6-3. World no.
2 served well in the second set, keeping the pressure on the other side and making the difference with a single break. Carlos secured the opening game with a forehand down the line winner and welcomed the rival's forehand error at 1-1 for another advantage.
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Alcaraz landed a behind-the-back volley winner for two break points in the fourth game and seized the second with a backhand crosscourt winner that sent him a set and a break in front. The four-time Major winner held at love with a service winner in game five and landed an ace two games later for a 5-2 lead, forcing Nadal to serve to stay in the match.
Rafa provided a hold with a volley winner at the net, reducing the deficit to 5-3. However, Carlos sealed the deal with another routine hold in game nine, firing a service winner and sailing into the title clash against Jannik Sinner.
