Nardi ahead of Alcaraz: "It won't be easy, but I've already done it against Djokovic".

Luca Nardi takes on Carlos Alcaraz this Wednesday at the ATP 500 in Doha. No mean feat for the current world No. 85.

Despite the challenge, the Italian is hoping to spring a surprise and build on his victory over Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells last year.

He declares: "It won't be easy, but I did it once with Novak. I know he hadn't played his best match and I had an opportunity that I took.

Tomorrow will probably be no different, as Carlos won a tournament last week and is playing better and better.

We played twice when we were kids. We were 13 or 14, and he always won. I never beat him, I never had a chance.

When we were 14 and 16, we played in the same tournaments, but then he grew up a bit earlier, so I didn't get much chance to talk to him for years, but we're friends.

Maybe the first time we played was in Spain.

He beat me easily. He played every shot: drop shots, strong shots. He was always the same.