"I am super happy to be in the final, means a lot to me and I just want to keep going" - Rafael Nadal on making Indian Wells final
Rafael Nadal extended his winning streak to 20-0 with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory over young compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the 2022 BNP Paribas Open on Saturday. The 2022 Australian Open champion will bid for his 92nd career title and fourth crown at Indian Wells against Taylor Fritz on Sunday.
20-0 🤩
3-time champion @RafaelNadal defeats Alcaraz in 3 hours and 12 minutes to reach the final!
He'll face Taylor Fritz tomorrow...
#IndianWells https://t.co/Ie33BFjj9H
Alcaraz broke Nadal's serve in the first game of the match to open up a 2-0 lead. The latter, however, reeled off the next four games and subsequently wrapped up the set 6-4.
During his on-court interview, Rafael Nadal revealed that he initially found it difficult to find his rhythm against the 18-year-old's aggressive shot-making. He expressed his delight at having overcome a tricky opponent in Alcaraz and on qualifying for his fourth final of the season.
"I think he started playing amazing," Nadal said of Alcaraz. "I was playing well in the beginning, it was just so difficult to stop him with his amazing shots. But then after the first fifteen minutes, I was, I can say, under control, although it's difficult to be under control against a player like him. I am super happy to be in the final, means a lot to me and I just want to keep going."
The Spaniard further shed light on how the contest became arduous due to the high winds in the second set. He revealed that he found it challenging to execute volleys at the net as the wind picked up, but started to play more aggressively as it receded afterwards.
"In the second set, the conditions became crazy with the wind," the 35-year-old remarked. "Everything was so difficult. Whenever I went to the net, it was so difficult to manage volleys with that wind. When it stopped a little bit, I thought I need to play aggressively, because if not, then Carlos was going to go for his shots and the match would be in his hands."
STANDING OVATION 
@alcarazcarlos03🙌 STANDING OVATION 🙌
These guys...
@RafaelNadal 🇪🇸 @alcarazcarlos03 https://t.co/suBtGW4G9p
An elongated deuce game on Nadal's serve at 2-2 in the decider gave Carlos Alcaraz three break point opportunities. The 21-time Major winner, however, wriggled himself out of the game and later said that he was impressed with his level in the third set.
"Then in the third set, I think I played much better, I was more aggressive," the World No. 4 said. "It's true that I saved some break points but he played some great points too."
"He's a great guy and an amazing player, he has a fantastic future" - Rafael Nadal on Carlos Alcaraz
Rafael Nadal also went on to emphasize how tough it usually gets to approach a match against a young opponent playing with a fearless attitude. He pointed out, however, that he treated the contest as he would against any other top player in the world.
"Generally it's difficult approaching a match like this," Nadal said. "But for me that wasn't the case. I took it like another semifinal match. He's not a young player that is No. 100 in the world. He is a top player already, so I treated it like I was playing against one of the best players in the world. Didn't matter if he was young or not. He's a great guy and amazing player, he has a fantastic future."
A win against home favorite Taylor Fritz in the final will make the 35-year-old Nadal the oldest champion at Indian Wells.
Also Check Out: Indian Wells Masters 2022 Schedule