TennisSection previews the 2022 Madrid Open as Novak Djokovic takes on Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal on Saturday, May 7th, 2022.
The star-studded Madrid Open field may have lost its prodigal son in the main draw, but there is a new star for Spanish tennis fans in Carlos Alcaraz. Fresh from celebrating his birthday and a first career win over Nadal, Alcaraz will play the top-ranked player in the men’s game in Novak Djokovic. Who will prevail?
Novak Djokovic is gunning for a fourth title at the Madrid Open. And his hopes might have have received a major boost now that the frontrunner Rafael Nadal is out of the equation. Djokovic, however, will face stiff competition from the chasing pack which includes his semifinal opponent Carlos Alcaraz who landed the knockout punch towards Nadal. Djokovic himself cruised into the last four, beating Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets. Having won this event three times in the past, Djokovic is the overwhelming favorite to walk away with the crown on Sunday, but can he withstand Alcaraz’s heavy hitting?
Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, scored the most impressive win of his short career – beating countryman Rafael Nadal 6-2 1-6 6-3. In a match of huge momentum swings, it was the No. 7 seed thatcontrolled the points from the baseline forcing Nadal into a sieve of unforced errors. As the tennis statisticians would have it, this was just the fourth time since the 2005 Roland Garros that Nadalwalked into a clay-court match as the underdog with the bookies. Alcaraz made a strong impression to the Madrid faithful whom for large patches sang Nadal’s name. But on the back of this rousing win, they had no choice but to accept him as their own.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have not clashed on the ATP Tour. Saturday’s match at the Madrid Open will be their first official match. This will be intense since both players have got extraordinary athletic ability to engage in long rallies and grind their opponents down. We can be certain they will wear each other down to the final point. While Djokovic’s experience cannot be discounted, Alcaraz’s maturity is simply bewildering. He reads the game brilliantly and his shot selection is top notch. I would back Djokovic against any other player, but not in the kind of form that Alcaraz is in at the moment.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz to win in 3 sets.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
Want more Free Tennis Picks from our Experts? Check out our latest Tennis Predictions now!
Join TopCourt now to learn from some of the best tennis players in the world! Find our exclusive 14-day FREE-trial here!
All betting odds/banners presented on the site are advertisements. Opinions of our experts are solely opinions. Please gamble responsibly and BeGambleAware.org.
