–What do you think of Tommy Paul? –they asked yesterday Luca Nardi (20 years old, 123rd in the world), who had just defeated the great Novak Djokovic (36) in the third round of Indian Wells.
(By 6-4, 3-6 and 6-3).
-Whose...? –Nardi answered the Galician, asking.
–From Tommy Paul, his next opponent in Indian Wells.
–Ah, now I play with him? Thanks for letting me know, I didn't know!
And laughter in the room.
Well, at that moment, Nardi was unable to look forward: he preferred to continue savoring the most recent past, that victory against the Serbian, according to many the best tennis player in history, today an apparently paralyzed player.
This is how the day had started in the California desert, and this is what it would look like thirteen hours later: Fabian Marozsan (24), a 1.93m Hungarian, prototype of today's tennis, sent a forehand wide and Carlos Alcaraz (20) , his rival, it was said: wide is Castilla.
Well, the Murcian thus achieved his first break of the match, taking a 4-3 lead in the first set and then continuing to widen the margin, until closing the set at 6-3.
With Alcaraz focused, the Hungarian giant was going to do little, which was finally in the hands of the 2023 champion, this man from Murcia who is rediscovering his game, more consistent every day, more content every day as well.
He is no longer that crazy teenager who, months ago, charged at his adversaries: rather he manages himself with caution, he already has too many scars on his body, too many injuries.
Now he doesn't like Alcaraz as much, he prefers to cook more, he doesn't give away drop shots and volleys, not with the abundance of other times. He presents the game with a civil servant spirit: little flashiness and a lot of efficiency.
In the sixth game of the second set he broke Marozsan's serve again, accelerating towards victory (double 6-3 in 1h15m) and avenging that unexpected affront that the Hungarian had inflicted on him last year in Rome.
The winner of the Zverev-De Miñaur that was played at press time awaits him.
