Thousands of tennis players, some legendary, have passed through the Wimbledon courts. In every corner, in every square meter of the All England Club, tradition is breathed. More than a century of history contemplates this temple of tennis and yet Carlos Alcaraz, 19, does not seem to be weighed down by such solemnity. Cheeky, playful through thick and thin, the new racket sport phenomenon moves across the London grass as if it were his garden, a green carpet on which he swept Oscar Otte in three sets this Friday (6-3 , 6-1 and 6-2) to get into the second round of the English Grand Slam for the first time, where another young man like Jannik Sinner, number 13 in the world, awaits him.
Neither the wind that hit track 1 at the start, nor his debut in the third round distracted him from his goal. He had been uncomfortable in the first round against Struff and at some irregular moment against Griekspoor, but against Otte the Alcaraz came out again, overwhelming his rivals, the one who dominates with his right hand and adorns himself when necessary with lobs and drop shots. The adaptation phase to the grass is already over.
His were the first eight points of the match, with a break included. It was just a presentation of the exhibition that was to come. He had a minimal slip-up in game six, where he conceded the first and only break chance of the match, promptly dealt with by a missed return from his opponent. The German could not find a way to hurt, unable to find a hole, a blow that would erode the Murcian, a titan in all records.
Otte only felt at the mercy of the hurricane with his powerful first serve, which got him out of trouble on a few occasions. Another break, won in white, was the signature of El Palmar in the first set. In less than half an hour the thoughtful German was on his bench in search of solutions. He didn't find them. His 1.93 meter height dwarfed even more in the next set.
The 28-year-old from Colonia did not have a break, who also ran into an excellent Alcaraz to the rest. With the ball in play, when an exchange occurred, the Spaniard played as he pleased, both from the baseline and when he volleyed into the net. Five games in a row he won the number 7 in the world in a second round where his rival had to be content with saving the 'donut'. With an ace he gave way to the final stake.
His youth has sometimes led him to relax when he looks very superior, a circumstance that did not occur on this occasion. Alcaraz, almost always smiling, kept a serious face, focused and convinced of making a round game. The third set began along the same lines, again with a break in favor of the Murcian, although this time with less brilliance and more effectiveness.
Otte was able to compete for some points, even dreaming of a break in the fourth game, but it was just a mirage. The sentence of Juan Carlos Ferrero's pupil came with another break in the seventh game, the sixth of the match. 37 winning shots and only 8 unforced errors are the translation in numbers of the nightmare that the German tennis player experienced.
With the triumph already in the sack, Alcaraz finally smiled. "It's probably the best game on grass I've ever played," said the youngest tennis player to reach the fourth round at the All England Club, after only five professional games on this surface, enough for Wimbledon to be over. surrendered to his tennis.
