The newest member of the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings showed on Tuesday that he can scrap out a win even when he's not playing at that elite level for stretches. At the Mutua Madrid Open, Carlos Alcaraz spent much of his opening match behind in the set score but still claimed a relatively routine victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili, 6-3, 7-5.
Seeking a Spanish double following his Barcelona title, Alcaraz took some time to find his footing on home soil in the opening set but quickly went through the gears to turn a 1-3 deficit into a one-set lead. He twice trailed by a break in the second but again raced through the finish line by taking the final four games of the match, denying Basilashvili's attempt to serve out the set in the process.
"This is a tough opponent. He plays really hard," Alcaraz said post-match. "I think that the first match in every tournament is tough, but I was focussed from the beginning to the end and I'm really happy to get into the next round."
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While Alcaraz has built his lofty reputation on a powerful baseline game, he used his speed and expert defending to frustrate his opponent on Manolo Santana Stadium as he sank his teeth into the up-and-down match. One of the points of the match came with Basilashvili serving to stay in the opening set at 3-5, 0/30. After Alcaraz covered just about every inch of the stadium court in a lengthy rally, he created three set points by fighting off an overhead for a lob winner.
The 18-year-old, who turns 19 on Thursday, will next face the winner of ninth seed Cameron Norrie's Wednesday matchup against John Isner. By reaching the last 16, he has already secure a career-best result at the ATP Masters 1000 event. Alcaraz was ranked No. 120 entering Madrid one year ago, when he lost to Rafael Nadal in the second round of his tournament debut.
"I think I'm more mature now," he said, looking back to his last appearance in the Spanish capital. "One year is not too much time to get mature but I think I'm a different player, different person now. I manage the nerves better than before and I think now I'm ready to play these kinds of matches in these kind of stadiums in front of a lot of people. I'm feeling comfortable in these types [of matches]."
Alcaraz's run to the Barcelona title — in which he saved two match points against Alex de Minaur in the semi-finals — earned him a place in the Top 10 for the first time, and he now seeks a second ATP Masters 1000 title on the season following his Miami triumph.
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