Alcaraz is unlikely to underestimate the Italian newcomer Nardi again.

Tomorrow at 7 AM, in the last 1/8 final of the Cincinnati Masters, the versatile Spanish player Alcaraz will face his younger opponent, the Italian newcomer Nardi, born in August 2003. Alcaraz should no longer underestimate this rookie who is just starting out and is also younger than himself.

Last year at the Indian Wells Masters third round, the Italian newcomer Nardi, who advanced as a lucky loser from qualifying, surprisingly defeated the then-world number one, Serbian star Djokovic, making it to the fourth round of a Masters event for the first time in his career.

With this victory, Nardi, ranked 123rd in the world, became the lowest-ranked player in history to defeat Djokovic, who had the most wins in Masters and Grand Slam events, and he broke into the top 100 in the world rankings, gaining fame overnight.

Djokovic praised Nardi, saying, "He has great talent, moves well, and has very strong baseline skills, especially on his forehand. He played some fantastic tennis, seizing opportunities decisively and was more fluid and aggressive than I was. He fully deserved this victory."

In fact, Nardi's highlight moment in his career so far is just that one match. His Grand Slam record is dismal; although he has participated in all four Grand Slam main draws, he has yet to win a match. His best performance in a Masters event was reaching the fourth round after unexpectedly defeating Djokovic at the Indian Wells Masters last year. This year, his best result on the ATP Tour was reaching the quarterfinals at the ATP 500 Dubai event after winning two matches.

It is precisely because Nardi's performance has been average and his results unremarkable that Alcaraz inadvertently developed a sense of superiority. In their first career meeting at the second round of the ATP 500 Doha event this year, Alcaraz easily took the first set 6-1 against Nardi and quickly led 4-1 in the second set. At that time, after recently winning the ATP 500 Rotterdam title, Alcaraz, facing an opponent who was three months younger than him and leading by a large margin, unknowingly became complacent, thinking he could easily sweep Nardi aside.

Unexpectedly, the tide turned dramatically. Nardi, feeling the pressure, won five consecutive games and took the second set 6-4. Realizing the situation, Alcaraz refocused in the deciding set and secured a 6-3 victory, avoiding another unexpected upset by Nardi.

Tomorrow at 7 AM, in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Masters, the two will meet for the second time in their careers. Fans believe that after experiencing a setback at the ATP 500 Doha event, and with Djokovic's example from last year's Indian Wells Masters third round, Alcaraz will certainly not underestimate this rookie Italian player again.

(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Colorful Bean Powder)