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Despite everything that Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz have achieved (and will achieve in Alcaraz’s case), it’s hard to believe that they can still improve at tennis.
“We knew this match was going to be better than the first one,” Alcaraz said, after he and Nadal advanced to the Paris 2024 Olympic men’s doubles quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-7, 10-2 victory.
the Dutch pair of Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof on Tuesday 30 July.
“We know each other much better on the court. We know how we have to play doubles. I feel like I’m more of a doubles player.”
With 26 Grand Slam titles between them, Nadal and Alcaraz had to work hard against their Dutch opponents, who maintained an even playing field throughout the two-hour and 22-minute, standing-room-only Roland-Garros.
After the Spaniards had largely controlled and won the first set, Griekspoor and Koolhof did not give up in the second, exchanging game for game to invite the tiebreak. They pounced on the first set point to force the decisive third set.
But it was all Nadal and Alcaraz, who jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never looked back. Griekspoor and Koolhof tried, but their opponents wouldn’t let them, winning on their second match point.
● Rafael Nadal takes nothing for granted
Next up on Wednesday, July 31, Nadal and Alcaraz will face Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram for a top-four spot, but Nadal, back on the home turf where he won 14 French Open titles, had not yet decided to rush things too far.
“Well, we had fun because the score was positive in the tiebreak,” Nadal said. “We suffered but obviously we are having fun playing together.
“We’re creating good synergies with good energy, so we’re having fun overall. I think we have a positive relationship off the field that helps on the field.
“We are happy to be in the quarter-finals, closer to the goal and we continue to be focused. Tomorrow is another important day.
“He did the singles first and then the doubles. So let’s focus on the singles first, Carlos, and then I’ll be there waiting for you,” he said with a nod to the reigning Wimbledon champion, twice standing next to him.
Alcaraz, who lifted the men’s singles trophy here last month, said: “I played really well at the net. I served pretty well, so I think we both played really well, much better than the first one.”
“We will continue to work. We will continue to improve our doubles game and it will be better in the quarterfinals.”
The post Tennis Paris 2024: Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz give it their all to reach the men’s doubles quarterfinals appeared first on TheConclaveNg.
