Second seed Carlos Alcaraz stayed on track for a maiden Australian Open title with a mighty impressive straight-sets victory over Miomir Kecmanovic. The Spaniard was at his scintillating best as he overpowered the Serbian hopeful, running away with the final set to land his first bagel of the tournament. He will face Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.
Carlos Alcaraz admitted he “did almost everything perfectly” as he demolished Miomir Kecmanovic to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time.
The Spaniard did not offer up a single break point as his raced through 6-4 6-4 6-0 in just one hour and 50 minutes.
Carlos Alcaraz needed a final set tie-break to see off the Serb in their only previous meeting in Miami in 2022, but he dominated all aspects of their rematch to book a clash with Alexander Zverev in the last eight in Melbourne.
Speaking to Eurosport’s Barbara Schett after the win, Alcaraz said he was delighted with his display on Rod Laver Arena.
“It was totally different [to the last time I played Kecmanovic]. I played better, I started better than the previous match,” he said.
“I did almost everything perfectly. I hit the ball really well. I moved really well as well. I’m really proud of my performance today, the level that I played.
“From the first ball to the last, it wasn’t up and down, and that’s something that I’m working on. I’m really happy to do it and I hope to keep going like that.”
Alcaraz remains on a collision course with 10-time champion Novak Djokovic, who was branded the “clear favourite” for the men’s singles title by Eurosport experts Nick Kyrgios and Tim Henman after his double-bagel victory over Adrian Mannarino on Sunday.
Schett caught up with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero during the match, with the former French Open champion revealing he loved Alcaraz’s “intensity”.
Ferrero is missing the tournament in Melbourne due to knee surgery.
“It’s something I’m working on. I want to keep the same intensity all the time – every ball, for two or three hours, whatever the match is,” said Alcaraz.
“I love those words from Juan Carlos. It’s difficult to hear because he is really professional and he wants you to do everything perfectly, so I’m really glad to hear those words from him.”
