The Spanish duo of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz clinched a win over Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6 (7:4), 6-4 in the tennis men’s doubles match at the ongoing Paris Olympics.
With 26 singles Grand Slams shared between them, Nadal and Alcaraz are the favourites in the men’s doubles event.
After winning the toss and choosing to receive first, it seemed to pay off for the Argentine duo as they took an early 1-0 lead. However, the Spaniards shook off the setback, breaking back to restore the status quo.
The two Spaniards played like they had been partnered for years and it was not their first doubles match.
However, Gonzalez and Molteni did not bow in front of Nadal-Alcaraz and matched the Spaniards’ point-for-point to enforce the tiebreaker in the first set.
A brilliant Nadal return down the line and past Molteni at the net ultimately sealed the first set and gave Spain the early lead 7-4 in the tie-break round of the first set.
The Argentina duo started the second set strongly and took a 3-0 lead. But Nadal-Alcaraz kept their nerves cool on the next serve and recovered the break.
The Spaniards did not have to wait long for the breakthrough, as they found the edge for a sniff of victory.
Nadal delivered the goods on his serve to win the set and the men’s doubles match.
Earlier on the first day of the Paris Olympics, Alcaraz clinched his first Olympic win in the singles event after beating Lebanon’s Hady Habib 6-3, 6-1. Meanwhile, Nadal will take on Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics in the first round of the singles event on Sunday.