Carlos Alcaraz returns to Center Court for the second straight day to face lucky loser Luca Nardi in a fourth-round match tonight at the Cincinnati Open.
The world No. 2 will look to avoid two things: another rain delay and another drawn-out battle. Unfortunately, the threat of rain will persist throughout the evening. And he faces yet another opponent with nothing to lose.
Alcaraz’s opener against Damir Dzumhur was a nearly two-hour, three-set grind. He followed that with a straight-sets win over another Bosniak, Hamad Medjedovic, in the third round — more straightforward, but far from effortless.
Alcaraz has developed a habit of turning first sets into tense affairs this season, yet he still finds a way to finish on top.
His opponent tonight, Nardi, is making the most of his main-draw debut in Cincinnati. Ranked No. 98 in the world, he advanced after 16th seed Jakub Mensik retired in the third round, having already scored wins over Denis Shapovalov and Thiago Tirante.
Nardi managed to take a set from Alcaraz in their only previous meeting. To have a shot at an upset tonight, he’ll need to keep his double faults in check.
Nardi–Alcaraz Head-to-Head
Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 1–0, having bested Nardi 6–1, 4–6, 6–3 in their only previous meeting at the 2025 Doha Open — a match that went on for nearly two hours.
Prediction
Alcaraz in 2 straight sets. Despite Nardi’s breakthrough run and poise, Alcaraz’s elite experience, aggression, and ability to control momentum should steer him to victory. There may be a few interesting games given Alcaraz’s recent match history and the fatigue factor.
How to Watch Luca Nardi vs. Carlos Alcaraz
The Luca Nardi-Carlos Alcaraz match is now expected to start at around 8:30 PM Eastern on Center Court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, after Sabalenka-Bouzas Maneiro.
The match may air live on the Tennis Channel or its streaming-only T2 Channel, which is available on Amazon Prime Video for free here.
The Tennis Channel has a live stream simulcast of its TV coverage here, along with a dedicated feed for the Nardi-Alcaraz match here.
A standalone Tennis Channel streaming subscription is available for $9.99/month or $109.99/year.
Nardi vs. Alcaraz
Date: Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Expected Start Time: 8:30 PM Eastern (after Sabalenka-Bouzas Maneiro)
Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason, Ohio
Court: Center Court
TV: Tennis Channel
Streaming: Tennis Channel app and website
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