Carlos Alcaraz lays a solid foundation in Beijing | ATP Tour

Beijing

Focused to the maximum, Alcaraz lays a solid foundation in Beijing

The Spaniard was a semi-finalist in the Chinese capital in 2023

September 27, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz is willing to show his high level on the Asian tour. The Spaniard began his journey at the China Open this Friday, defeating Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the round of 16 in Beijing. The No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings crowned the match to land in the Chinese capital, where he receives praise at every step. If the atmosphere in the stands serves as proof, it underlined the obvious: the Murcian is already a global sports icon.

The Murcian faced a reflex challenge at the Diamond Court, where he crossed arms with one of the toughest punches on the circuit. Mpetshi Perricard, with hits that exceed 220km/h and an average of more than 13 aces per match, appeared with the threat of a flat match. The Spaniard, however, compensated for that strength with absolute attention, breaking the Frenchman in the first turn of serve in each set to ensure control of the match.

“The plan was to put as much debris on the runway as I could,” Alcaraz said. “Honestly, it wasn’t easy. I was reaching 230 or 240 [km/h] in each service. In the second set, at 210 0 215. It’s not easy to play against him. He is a very powerful player. He has a great serve and good baseline shots. I needed to be very focused. That was the plan. “Try not to make too many mistakes and play aggressively from the baseline.”

The Spaniard fulfilled the plan perfectly, taking advantage of the two breaking points generated in the match to make his way to victory.

“In the first game of the match I subtracted quite well and made good points deep down,” said Alcaraz. “In the first game of the second set he committed three double faults. That helped me a lot to break his serve. Afterwards, I needed to be very focused on the following games. I’m glad I achieved it.”

After overcoming the first obstacle in the ATP 500, Alcaraz will play in the round of 16 against world No. 39 Tallon Griekspoor. The Spaniard impeccably dominates (3-0) the Lexus ATP Head2Head record over the Dutchman, whom he already surpassed this season at the Paris Olympic Games.

Alcaraz seeks to take advantage in China of the game momentum recovered days ago in the Laver Cup, where he played a key role in certifying Team Europe’s victory during a spectacular weekend in Berlin. The Spaniard’s reflexes, fundamental in the triumph of the team led by Björn Borg, appeared well polished at the start of the Asian tour.

The Murcian continues writing a 2024 season with historical overtones. Alcaraz, who has a record of 44-9 this year, became the youngest tennis player in the Open Era to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same season, establishing his figure in the legend of the sport as a four-time Grand Slam champion. . After winning the Olympic silver medal in Paris, the man from Murcia is looking for a stellar closing season that underlines his place in the front line of the locker room.

Juan Carlos Ferrero’s pupil faces the second participation of his career in the ATP 500 in Beijing, where a year ago he managed to reach the semifinals. The Murcian was only stopped in the penultimate round by the Italian Jannik Sinner, the eventual champion of the tournament.

Carlos competes in Beijing after having sealed his qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals, the prestigious season finale event that he will try to conquer from November 10 to 17 for the first time in his career. Alcaraz is currently ranked No. 3 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, a tournament also entered by Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.

This Friday the third seed Daniil Medvedev also began his journey in Beijing. The reigning runner-up defeated former world No. 6 Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4 in one of the most anticipated duels of the first round. Daniil will try to maintain his love affair with the Chinese capital by next facing the Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

For his part, Francisco Cerúndolo began the Asian tour by defeating Czech Jakub Mensik 7-6(4), 6-1. The Argentine meets seventh seed Karen Khachanov in the second round, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Spaniard Roberto Carballés Baena.

Did you know that…?
Carlos Alcaraz aspires to become the second Spanish champion of the China Open in individual mode, following in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal (2005, 2017) on the courts of Beijing. In an event of great performance for La Armada, Tommy Robredo (2007) and David Ferrer (2010) are the other compatriots who managed to climb to the final in the Chinese capital.