Rafael Nadal brings teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime back down to earth
• Spaniard moves into fourth round of Madrid Open
• Five-time champion beats young Canadian 6-3, 6-3
Prodigies abound in tennis but there was no denying proven class on Court Manolo Santana on Wednesday as the 32-year-old Rafael Nadal quelled the clamour growing around the Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime and moved into the fourth round of the Madrid Open, a tournament he has won five times.
Auger-Aliassime, who helped his country beat Germany in Madrid in the junior Davis Cup final four years ago, soaked up the early pressure, then put perhaps too much faith in his booming ground strokes as he racked up 30 unforced errors. He fought doggedly to save five match points but, after an hour and 37 minutes, Nadal prevailed 6-3, 6-3.