Carlos Alcaraz: Birthday boy sets up Rafael Nadal quarter-final at Madrid Open with win over Norrie

Carlos Alcaraz battled to a tough 6-4 6-7(4) 6-3 win over Cameron Norrie to set up a quarter-final with Rafael Nadal in the Madrid Open. After just a single point, the umpire paused the action to allow the court staff on in order to mop up excess water after it had been freshened up following Nadal's win over David Goffin.

Ad/> Alcaraz’s athleticism helped him power into a 3-1 lead in the opening stages of the first set, with the Briton under threat of being quickly overwhelmed. ATP MadridNadal uses 'unforgettable' Real Madrid victory as inspiration for win over Goffin3 HOURS AGO Norrie rallied after Alcaraz moved into a 4-1 lead when he held his serve, cutting the deficit to two games, but the Spanish teenager — predicted to challenge the 'big three' for their Grand Slam achievements — left little room for Norrie with some deadly accurate two-handed cross-court shots.

World No. 11 Norrie fell 5-2 behind after more ruthless shots from his opponent — ranked two places above him after recently crashing into the world top 10 aged 18 — with Alcaraz celebrating his 19th birthday on Thursday.

Norrie was forced onto the back foot again as he was pushed to deuce, but managed to hold, and then earned himself four break points as he tried to rescue the first set — and his battling effort eventually earned him a little more time in contention. In response, Alcaraz bounced back with a break of his own to move one set from the win.