Friday’s men’s singles quarterfinals feature seven of the ATP’s top 10, with the only outlier being 14th-ranked Hubert Hurkacz, who will face world No.1 Novak Djokovic. But the most-anticipated of the four matchups is easily the all-Spaniard generational clash between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, in a rematch from a thrilling contest two months ago at Indian Wells.
Two other top 10 collisions see Stefanos Tsitsipas play Andrey Rublev, and Sascha Zverev face Felix Auger-Aliassime. Tsitsipas and Rublev share a dramatic past, while the Canadian has claimed two of his last three encounters against the German defending champion.
Each day, this preview will analyze the two most intriguing matchups, while highlighting other notable matches on the schedule. Friday’s ATP singles quarterfinals gets underway at 2:00pm local time, while doubles play begins at 1:00pm.
Rafael Nadal (3) vs. Carlos Alcaraz (7) – Not Before 4:00pm on Manolo Santana Stadium
This will be the third meeting between the nearly-36-year-old Nadal, and the newly-turned-19-year-old Alcaraz, who celebrated his birthday on Thursday with a three-set win over Cam Norrie. On the same day, Nadal spent 30 more minutes on court, as what appeared to be a straight-set win turned into an over three-hour battle with David Goffin. Rafa eventually had to save four match points before prevailing 11-9 ibn the third-set tiebreak. One year ago at this event, Nadal comfortably defeated Alcaraz on his 18th birthday by a score of 6-1, 6-2. Two months ago in Indian Wells, matters were much more complicated, in extraordinarily windy conditions, with Rafa winning 6-3 in the third. But a rib injury Nadal suffered in that semifinal would hinder him in the final, and cause him to miss both Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
Alongside Tsitsipas, these two players have separated themselves from the pack in the year-to-date rankings. Nadal is 22-1, while Alcaraz is 25-3, and both have earned three titles. So is Carlitos ready to defeat his idol? He was oh-so-close in Indian Wells, and Rafa has only played two matches in the past seven weeks. Nadal was unimpressed with his own form on Thursday, feeling he shouldn’t have let his lead slip. And his body will surely be hurting after such an extended, intense affair. This feels like the moment for Alcaraz to make another statement in his young career, by taking out the King of Clay in his home country.
Stefanos Tsitsipas (4) vs. Andrey Rublev (6) – Not Before 8:00pm on Manolo Santana Stadium
These players are tied at 4-4 in what has been a compelling rivalry to date. Three year ago at the US Open, Rublev upset Tsitsipas in a four-hour four-setter. Two years ago in the final of Hamburg on clay, Stefanos served for the championship at 5-3 in the third, but lost the next four games and the title. The Greek avenged that loss just days later at Roland Garros, and won again a month later in a final-set tiebreak at the ATP Finals. On clay, Tsitsipas leads 2-1, and is 9-1 on the surface this season. Rublev is on a six-match win streak, coming off his title run on clay in Belgrade. But on this surface, Stefanos is a slight favorite. Rublev’s ultra-offensive game is stymied a bit on clay, and of late we’ve seen him become remarkably frustrated quite often. On Thursday, he again drew his own blood by punching his racket strings, and that was during a straight-set victory. That’s advantage, Tsitsipas.
Other Notable Matches on Friday:
Desirae Krawczyk and Demi Schuurs (3) vs. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula (5) – Krawczyk and Schuurs were champions in Stuttgart two weeks ago. Gauff and Pegula also won their last event as a team, the Qatar Open in February. The winners will have to play again later in the day, and Pegula will also be in the singles final on Saturday.
Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Hubert Hurkacz (12) – Djokovic received a walkover on Thursday from an ill Andy Murray, while Hurkacz already survived two long three-setters this week. Novak leads their head-to-head 3-0, though their last meeting six months ago at the Paris Masters was decided by a final-set tiebreak.
Sascha Zverev (2) vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime (8) – Zverev claimed their first three meetings in straight sets, but their last three have all gone the distance, with Auger-Aliassime taking their biggest match in the fourth round of last July’s Wimbledon. Both men should be fully fresh, as Sascha played for less than 40 minutes on Thursday due to Lorenzo Musetti’s retirement, and Felix has dropped only six games through four sets thus far.
Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos (2) vs. Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah (5) – Granollers and Zeballos are the defending champions. Cabal and Farah were finalists a few weeks ago in Monte Carlo. Three years ago in the US Open final, Cabal and Farah defeated Granollers and Zeballos in straight sets.
Friday’s full Order of Play is here.