World number 2 Carlos Alcaraz has made a successful start in Buenos Aires. The defending champion played his first match since his loss in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, facing some difficulties but ultimately defeating Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-2, 7-5 in an hour and 45 minutes.
Carlos had a 72% success rate with his first serve, relying on it heavily after a disappointing performance on his second serve, which saw him win only two out of 17 points. This was his worst second serve performance in his career at the ATP level. The Argentine player managed to win 46% of the return points and converted them into four breaks out of nine opportunities.
The home player struggled with his first and second serve, losing 59% of the points and allowing Carlos to break him seven times out of 18 break chances. The first set witnessed six breaks of serve in eight games, with Alcaraz managing to break his opponent in every return game, overcoming a slow start and building a lead.
In the opening game of the match, Ugo Carabelli created two break opportunities and converted the first one after Carlos made a costly double fault. In the second game, the Spaniard had three break points but was unable to convert them, reaching deuce instead. However, Carlos managed to break back and level the score at 1-1. In the third game, Camilo played a great return, hitting a forehand winner down the line to pass Carlos at the net and gain another advantage.
In the fourth game, Alcaraz attacked on a break point and won the break with a volley winner, taking control of the match. He then won his first service game in the fifth game, moving ahead 3-2. In the sixth game, Carlos created another break chance and capitalized on it with a forehand winner down the line, securing his third consecutive break and a 4-2 lead. He extended his lead to 5-2 with a service winner in the seventh game and had three set points on Ugo Carabelli’s serve in the following game. Carlos forced an error from his opponent with a sharp return on the first set point, securing his fourth break of the set and winning it 6-2 in just 33 minutes.
At the start of the second set, Carlos made a backhand error, facing three break points. Ugo Carabelli converted the third break point with a forehand attack, taking an early lead similar to the first set. In the second game, the Argentine player hit a clever volley winner at the net, consolidating his lead and going up 2-0. Carlos held his serve after a deuce in the third game and put pressure on Ugo Carabelli’s serve in the next game. The game turned into a 13-minute battle, and Carlos managed to convert his seventh break point, leveling the score at 2-2. In the fifth game, Alcaraz hit a forehand winner down the line, holding his serve and looking to break his opponent once again. Carlos created three break points with a strong return and took advantage of the first one after Ugo Carabelli’s double fault, extending his lead to 4-2 and getting closer to victory. In the seventh game, Alcaraz hit another forehand winner, holding his serve easily and cruising towards the finish line. He served for the match at 5-3 and had a match point with a smash winner after a well-constructed attack. However, he missed it with a loose forehand and got broken after an unforced error, allowing his opponent to get back on the scoreboard. In the tenth game, Alcaraz had a chance to earn two match points on Ugo Carabelli’s serve but missed a routine forehand, eventually creating one match point with a forehand crosscourt winner. However, Carlos wasted that opportunity with a loose backhand, and the home player leveled the score at 5-5 after an exciting rally and a backhand winner down the line. In the 11th game, Ugo Carabelli gained momentum and passed Alcaraz at the net, creating three break chances and moving closer to completing a turnaround.
Carlos remained focused and thwarted them with impressive shots, delivering another powerful serve to secure the game and gain momentum. The Spanish player initiated the 12th game with a clever lob and a winning drop shot, forcing his opponent to make a mistake and taking a 30-0 lead.
Alcaraz displayed his skillful forehand, clearing the baseline and earning three match points. He capitalized on the first one as his rival made an unforced error, breaking his opponent’s serve without the need for a tie break. Carlos is in pursuit of his first ATP title since July of the previous year when he triumphed over Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, causing him to slow down a bit.
Following a thrilling final in Cincinnati against the Serbian player, the Spaniard encountered three semi-final defeats towards the end of the season. Alcaraz began the 2024 season with a strong performance at the Australian Open, reaching the quarter-finals. This achievement made him the fourth-youngest player in history to reach the last eight at all four Majors, joining the ranks of Boris Becker, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Unfortunately, Alcaraz couldn’t progress further as he succumbed to Alexander Zverev in four sets.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org