PARIS — Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will
look to book a heavyweight French Open quarter-final clash Sunday, while
Carlos Alcaraz hopes to extend his run after becoming the youngest man to make the
last 16 since 2006.
اضافة اعلان
Record 13-time Roland Garros champion Nadal takes on
Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Canadian ninth seed trained by
Toni Nadal, the
Spanish star’s uncle and coach for the best part of three decades.
“For me, it’s very simple,” said Nadal.
“He is my uncle. He will not want me to lose. He
wants the best for me and I want the best for him. But he’s a professional and
with another player now. It’s zero problems.”
Auger-Aliassime started working with Toni Nadal in
April 2021, four years after Nadal and his uncle called time on their 27-year,
trophy-laden association.
“We knew it was a possibility that eventually I
would play Rafa when I’m working with Toni,” said Auger-Aliassime, who made his
first Grand Slam semi-final at the
US Open in September.
“I think Toni will watch from a neutral place and
enjoy the match. From my part, it’s another match.
“Rafa’s career and what he did with Toni is much
bigger than the match on Sunday.”
Nadal’s record at the French Open reads 108 wins
against just three defeats.
He has reached at least the last eight in 15 of 17
visits to Paris. Nadal lost to Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009 and
withdrew before the third round in 2016 with a wrist injury.
Another victory for
Nadal would send him through to
a quarter-final with Djokovic should the world number one and defending
champion defeat Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman in his last-16 clash.
Alcaraz follows in
Djokovic footsteps
Djokovic has won all six
previous meetings with
Schwartzman, the 15th seed from Argentina, including a
five-set victory in the third round at Roland Garros in 2017.
Alcaraz, 19, is the youngest man through to the
second week of the French Open since Djokovic 16 years ago.
After saving a match point in the second round, the
sixth seed gained revenge against the only man to beat him on clay this year,
defeating American Sebastian Korda in straight sets.
“I think I am ready,” said Alcaraz. “If I win this
tournament I would say it’s my golden ticket.”
He has won 20 of 21 matches on clay this season and
next faces 21st seed Karen Khachanov.
Third seed and 2021 semi-finalist
Alexander Zverev
plays qualifier Bernabe Zapata Miralles, the 134th-ranked Spaniard who is
enjoying his best run at a major and took down John Isner in the last 32.
Last year’s US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez
tackles American 27th seed Amanda Anisimova, who made the last four in Paris
three years ago and knocked out Naomi Osaka in the first round.
Coco Gauff, 18, seeks a repeat of her quarter-final
appearance from a year ago when she meets Belgium’s Elise Mertens, while Swiss
23rd seed Jil Teichmann plays former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, who lost
the 2018 Roland Garros final.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich will try to reach the last eight of a
major for the first time against Italy’s Martina Trevisan, a surprise
quarter-finalist in 2020.
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