Just 50 minutes into Carlos Alcaraz’ third-round match against Shang Juncheng, the 18-year-old Chinese wildcard entrant, it was all but over. This was the first time the 20-year-old Spaniard, a two-time major winner, was playing an opponent younger than him.
Alcaraz’s opponent Shang pulls up injured but Spaniard still has time to showcase his power.
MELBOURNE: Just 50 minutes into Carlos Alcaraz’ third-round match against Shang Juncheng, the 18-year-old Chinese wildcard entrant, it was all but over. This was the first time the 20-year-old Spaniard, a two-time major winner, was playing an opponent younger than him.
Alcaraz, the No.2 seed, playing in a sleeveless tee that showcased his muscular frame, had done his thing, part dancing, part bounding, ripping winners and caressing the delicate shots, tucking away 10 of the 12 games that were played.
Shang was having his leg attended to during a medical timeout when the courtside stereos came alive to Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’.
The fans were on their feet, swaying and swinging along, and slowly Alcaraz broke into a smile that sparked the afternoon sun.
Shang was on court for only 16-minutes longer before retiring (1-6, 1-6, 0-1) from the Rod Laver Arena with the legendary Aussie occupying a seat in the house that carries his name. Alcaraz had shown Rod Laver considerable range which will be on full display when he takes on Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic
in the fourth round on Monday.
Carlos Alcaraz, the owner of two major titles, beat Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final last year but suffered a reverse a few weeks later in their rematch on hardcourts after having a match point. The Spaniard hasn’t won a title after his glorious run at SW19, but the important thing is he has shown up.
“The goal is to maintain my level during the whole season. After Wimbledon I lost a few matches that I (should) not have lost, but this is tennis, everything can happen,” Alcaraz said. “I’m just focused on doing the right things, probably the good things that I did last year, and improving the things that I did wrong.”
Carlos Alcaraz, into the second week for the first time in Melbourne Park, pulled out of the Australian Open last year due to an injured right leg. “I’m feeling great,” the Spaniard said when asked how he felt on a scale of 1 to 10. “Probably seven or eight. It’s high, that’s how I feel, I’m improving every day.”
Alcaraz, who is here without his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who underwent a knee surgery, has a 1-0 head-to-head advantage against Kecmanovic. Their only meeting was in Miami two years ago which went the distance.
BALAJI-CORNEA PAIR LOSES; BOPANNA PULLS OUT OF MIXED
In a second-round doubles match alternates – India’s Sriram Balaji and Romania’s Victor Vlad Cornea -went down 3-6, 3-6 to the tenth seeds El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo and Croat Mate Pavic. Rohan Bopanna pulled out of the mixed doubles draw, citing fatigue. The 43-year-old Indian was due to partner Hungary’s Timea Babos.
ROUND 3 (MEN)
6-Alexander Zverev (Ger) bt Alex Michelsen (USA) 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2; Nuno Borges (Por) bt 13-Grigor Dimitrov (Bul) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6); 3-Daniil Medvedev (Rus) bt 27-Felix Auger-Aliassime (Can) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; 19-Cameron Norrie (GBR) bt 11-Casper Ruud (Nor) 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 6-3; 9-Hubert Hurkacz (Pol) bt 21-Ugo Humbert (Fra) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3; Miomir Kecmanovic (Srb) bt 14-Tommy Paul (USA) 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-0; 2-Carlos Alcaraz (Esp) bt Shang Juncheng (Chn) 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 retd
