Carlos Alcarazcurrent champion, started with victory in the Madrid Masters 1000by beating Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko 6-2, 6-1 in the second round, removing doubts about his form.
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The world number three started in the best way at the start of the season on clay, after having been sidelined in Monte Carlo and Barcelona due to discomfort in his right forearm.
Still on Tuesday, Alcaraz He did not want to confirm his participation in the Madrid Masters 1000, although he was confident that “if the sensations continue like this, he will probably take to the court.”
“It has been a pretty hard month, of uncertainty, of not knowing when I was going to return. I came with many doubts, today the priority was to see how I felt and the feelings have been very good,” he said. Alcaraz after his victory.
His good feelings ended up being reflected this Friday on the clay of the Caja Mágica.
Alcaraz, winner of the last two editions of the Madrid tournament, started strongly, breaking his rival’s entrance service and confirming a 2-0 with his serve.
The Murcian seemed very confident, looking for the lines and controlling the match against an opponent who only appeared in flashes.
Alcaraz He took advantage of his second break point in the fifth game to take a 4-1 lead, although Shevchenko managed to counterbreak him in the next game.
The respite was short-lived for the Kazakh, who in the following game saw how Alcaraz He stole serve again to confirm with his own the final 6-2 in the first set.
Alcaraz He continued in the same vein in the second set with two consecutive breaks to escape 3-0, a lead that was impossible to overcome for Shevchenko, who could only win one game.
Alcaraz He will face Brazilian Thiago Wild in the next round, who beat Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-4 this Friday.
“I have seen him many times, he is a very aggressive player, he has a very high level, so let’s get our act together,” he added. Alcaraz.
The Spaniard aspires to become the first player to win the Madrid Masters 1000 three times in a row, the final of which would be played on his birthday on May 5.
-We are back in Madrid —@carlosalcaraz | @MutuaMadridOpen | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/tFLlnEuas5
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 26, 2024
His compatriot Alejandro Davidovich moved on to the third round after beating the Chinese Juncheng Shang 7-5, 6-3, where he will face the Russian Andrey Rublev, world number eight, who beat the Argentine Facundo Bagnis 6-1, 6 this Friday -4.
Sebastián Báez, also an Argentine, had better luck after battling for more than three hours to beat Frenchman Luca Van Assche 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3.
Báez, winner in Santiago and Rio de Janeiro, will face the winner of the duel between the Italian Luciano Darderi and the American Taylor Fritz in the next round.
In the women’s draw, the number two in the world and current champion of the Madrid tournament, Aryna Sabalenka, was close to disaster against the Polish Magda Linette.
The Belarusian ended up winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, after more than two hours of play.
“The altitude in Madrid helps me,” said Sabalenka, who will face the winner of the duel between the British Katie Boulter and the American Robin Montgomery in the next round.
The Kazakh Elena Rybakina, world number four, also continues her path in Madrid after beating the Italian Lucia Bronzetti 6-4, 6-3.
The winner of Wimbledon in 2022 is seeking her fourth title of the season in the Spanish capital, the last one won last week in Stuttgart against the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk.
Rybakina will face the Egyptian Mayar Sherif in the next round, who beat Kostyuk 6-2, 7-5 this Friday, avoiding a repeat of the final in the German city.
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2024-04-28 07:48:15