Nadal outlasts fellow Spaniard Alcaraz to advance to final at Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal outlasted Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 Saturday night to reach the BNP Paribas Open final and improve to 20-0 this year.

The 21-time major champion staved off three break points on his serve in the fifth game of the third set and then broke Alcaraz with a forehand volley winner to go up 5-3. Nadal served out the match with a love game, punctuating the 3-hour, 12-minute struggle with a 95-mph ace.

Nadal threw his head back, smiled and raised both arms in triumph, having escaped an aggressive Alcaraz. The 18-year-old never appeared rattled playing his vaunted countryman, who was clearly the crowd favourite.

Nadal's perfect record is the third-best start to a season since 1990.

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