Nadal and Alcaraz down Dutch to reach Olympic doubles quarter-finals, Murray through
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Spain's Carlos Alcaraz (left) and Rafael Nadal celebrate after winning their match against the Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof.
PHOTO: REUTERS
PARIS - Spain's raging bulls Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz blazed into the quarter-finals of the Olympics men's doubles as the temperature reached boiling point at Roland Garros on July 30.
Spain’s dream team of Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz reached the quarter-finals of the Olympic men’s tennis doubles with a 6-4 6-7 10-2 defeat of Dutchmen Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof at Roland Garros on July 30.
A day after 14-time French Open champion Nadal was heavily beaten by Novak Djokovic in the singles, the 38-year-old bounced back with a commanding display alongside his compatriot.
The Spanish duo, dubbed Nadalcraz, delighted a packed and vociferous crowd on a sweltering Court Suzanne Lenglen arena as they combined their formidable firepower to keep their gold medal dream on course.
Alcaraz, 21, pummelled a forehand winner to get the crucial break of serve in the first set with Nadal roaring his approval.
Koolhof, a former doubles world number one, and Griekspoor provided stiff resistance in the second set before dominating a second-set tiebreak, winning it 7-2.
“Even if we felt today that we played much better than the first day, and in the second set we were a bit over them in terms of opportunities and level, we were not able to convert the opportunities because they played well,” Nadal said.
Nadalcaraz caught fire in the deciding third set, fist-pumping and roaring after a succession of electrifying winners as they blazed to victory.
Nadal - who won the men’s doubles gold with Marc Lopez in Rio 2016 - and Alcaraz showed enthusiasm and motivation both on and off the court.
“We are not used to play doubles. To make that work well is to play with happiness and with high energy. And that is what we are trying to do. We have a good relationship outside of the court. So that helps the feeling on court,” Nadal said.
The pair will play their quarter final on the evening of July 31 against American fourth-seed pair Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.
Earlier in the day, Alcaraz will play a singles match against Russian Roman Safiullin, the world number 66, who is competing as a neutral athlete.
Also on July 30, Andy Murray delayed his retirement from tennis with another thrilling Olympic doubles win with Dan Evans.
Britain’s Andy Murray and Dan Evans celebrate winning their match against Belgium’s Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen.
Murray and Evans defeated Belgium’s Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-3, 6-7 (8/10), 11-9 to qualify for the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
They saved two match points in the final-set tie-break, two days after they had saved five match points in their opening-round victory.
In a rollercoaster clash on Court Suzanne Lenglen, the British pair wasted two match points of their own in a gripping second-set tie-break.
The 37-year-old Murray, who has claimed three Grand Slam titles, reached the world number one spot and pocketed two Olympic singles gold medals, will retire once his Paris campaign is over. REUTERS, AFP
