Carlos Alcaraz is bidding for a Sunshine Double (Image: Getty)
Carlos Alcaraz cruised to victory in the third round of the Miami Open with an emphatic win over Roberto Carballes Baena on Saturday.
Carlos Alcaraz has agreed with Andy Murray that the conditions at the Miami Open are slower than at Indian Wells. The Spaniard kicked off his bid to secure a Sunshine Double with an emphatic victory over Roberto Carballes Baena in the third round.
Alcaraz arrived at the competition in high spirits after successfully defending his Indian Wells trophy, and he laid down a marker in Miami with a 6-2, 6-1 win over countryman Carballes Baena – who was celebrating his 31st birthday.
Although a one-sided affair, Alcaraz did manage to spark plenty of excitement inside the Hard Rock Stadium with an accolade of sensational shots which will have struck fear into any of his potential upcoming opponents.
However, the 20-year-old did agree that he was forced to adjust to the different conditions in Miami, which Murray had previously commented on when explaining that the conditions were even slower than in Indian Wells.
Asked about the conditions after his win and how the bounce was not as high as at Indian Wells, Alcaraz said: “Yeah, Indian Wells it was much higher. Probably the court is faster, but the ball goes slower. Yeah, that’s different.
“The balls become bigger after just one game. Is crazy. New balls go super-fast, then after one game super slow. It was difficult to adapt in that way. But, yeah, the first game, it’s crazy, then it’s super slow.”
There has been plenty of praise heaped on Alcaraz over the past few years, and Murray tweeted during his victory over Carballes Baena that watching him compete ‘makes him smile’. The world No. 2 was quizzed on how comments like that from his rivals make him feel, to which he replied: “Well, it’s great. As I say many times, I play for myself, I play for my team. But also I enjoy if the people enjoy watching my matches, my games. For me, it’s pretty cool.
“I think for me it’s even better if a legend like Andy says something like this, that he enjoys a lot watching my matches. It’s crazy for me, honestly. I think he has seen a lot of tennis during his career, a lot of matches, a lot of players. Seeing these words from him for me is great. It’s something I try to do it in every match.”
