Carlos Alcaraz exceeds a demanding premiere in Doha | ATP Tour

Doha

Alcaraz exceeds a demanding premiere in Doha

The Spanish adds 11 consecutive victories in the ATP 500, after winning Cilic

February 17, 2025

It is not the most common to find a Grand Slam champion on the other side of the network at the premiere of an ATP 500 Tournament. But that was the experience that Carlos Alcaraz had to live against Marin Cilic on the first round of Qatar Exxonmobil Open.

The Spanish, who starts as the main series, debuted in Doha with a worked victory against the winner of the US Open 2014 by 6-4, 6-4, in an hour and 39 minutes. It was the tenth of the season in eleven games played so far.

And it is that Alcaraz arrived in Doha as a recent champion in Róterdam, where he raised the first crown of the course and the seventeenth of his career. His great performance on the hard track Dutch cover, in addition to his trophy last September in Tokyo, allow him to link 11 victories in a row in ATP 500 territory.

Alcaraz’s first adventure in Doha – although he already played the previous Open of Australia 2021 at the Khalifa Tennis Complex due to the pandemic – began before a rival he had defeated in the last three clashes recorded by the Lexus ATP Head2head (4 -1 in total).

The 21 -year -old Murcia, in addition, had only given up on one occasion of the 20 most recent games against a rival classified outside the Top 50 (p. With No. 74 Van de Zandschulp in 2R of the US Open). And in front of Cilic he had to use himself thoroughly so as not to add it to the list.

While it is true that for Cilic it was the first 2025 tournament, the truth is that the Croatian found the rhythm from the beginning, despite letting his first game escape to the service. It was of no matter because he matched 1-1 immediately and was able to hurry the Spanish once again in the sixth game with 2-3, 30/40 in his favor.

However, No. 3 of the PIF ATP Rankings demonstrated its great level of play and trust, in addition to greater filming this season to get out of trouble and then tighten the rest by turning the fifth break option that he had in the seventh game to take advantage again 4-3. He assured two more games with his serve to stay the first set 6-4.

In the second set, they seemed to sign a truce of aggressiveness to the rest until 3-3. At that time, calm broke down for the jams. In this case, Alcaraz saw how the Croatian stood with a dangerous 0/40 in the seventh game, which could suffocate with five points in a row to match 4-4.

“I am very happy to save that game and give me the opportunity to remain alive,” Alcaraz acknowledged about a critical moment of the meeting. “Marin put me a lot of pressure in my serve, he is a great restaurant. I am very happy to have kept calm at that time, make my routine and good blows. I am very happy to win in two sets. ”

The standard head No. 1 in Doha then stepped forward to the rest and ended up transforming its third break (3/10) according to the infosys ATP statistics, to close your ticket to the second round, where you wait for the winner of the confrontation Pending first round between the Italian from the previous Luca Nardi and the Chinese Zhizhen Zhang.

In addition to Alcaraz, this Monday also premiered in the first round of Doha with Victoria Jiri Leheckka, leaving out the seventh head of Grigor Dimitrov series with an outstanding performance 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 15 minutes.

The Czech advanced to Second Ronda, where the Hungarian Fabian Marozsan will be measured, who opened his participation in this edition against the Tunisian guest Aziz Dougaz 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 28 minutes.

For his part, Christopher O’Connell was commissioned to sign the first triumph of the tournament that premieres Category ATP 500. The Australian from the previous in an hour and 56 minutes.

Did you know what …?

Carlos Alcaraz, at 21, aims to become the youngest champion in Doha since Andy Murray did it in 2009.