Spanish tennis players Carlos Alcaraz and Bernabé Zapata have qualified for the semifinals of the Rio de Janeiro Open, the only ATP 500 tournament in South America, and if at least one of them wins in the next round, they will ensure Spain's participation in the grand final. Sunday.
In the case of Carlos Alcaraz, the current number two in the world beat Serbian Dusan Lajovic, number 80 in the ATP, 6-4, 7-6 (0) this morning, but who played a very serious game and who has put a Murcian tennis player in difficulties who, after the triumph in Argentina, wants to win in Brazil.
The match lasted a little less than two hours, unlike the almost three that the round of 16 match between Alcaraz and Fabio Fognini lasted, but the fact that Lajovic beat Argentine Diego Schwartzman, former number 8 in the world, in the first round, already advanced that the duel against the Serbian would not be easy. And there have been no surprises in Rio.
Dusan Lajovic started better in the first set and, after breaking a serve from the Spaniard, he made it 4-2 on the scoreboard. But then Alcaraz's reaction came: he responded with a break to situate himself at 4-4 and later he got another break to win the first round.
The script hasn't changed much in the second set. The first to get a break was once again Lajovic, but Alcaraz also knew how to respond. Already at 5-5, the Serbian has once again broken the Spaniard's serve, and when Lajovic served to take the second set, Alcaraz has risked, going up to the net three times, and has caused the second set to be decided on tie-in. break, something that has left the Serbian very touched. Alcaraz has won all the sudden death points and, after scoring 7-6 (0), has qualified for the semifinals of a tournament that he already won last year.
For his part, the Valencian Bernabé Zapata, number 63 in the world and who is in a clear ascending line, has imposed himself on Albert Ramos in a disputed match by 6-4, 2-6 and 6-4 and has taken the Spanish duel of the quarterfinals of the Rio de Janeiro Open.
The Valencian, who at the moment does not have any ATP tournament to his credit, has shown that he is in great physical shape and has emerged victorious in an intense two and a half hour match under the strong heat of the southern summer in the Brazilian city .
The match between Zapata and Ramos was very even until the eighth game, when the Catalan was able to hold serve to make it 4-4, but the Valencian has already shown signs that the intensity was rising. Something that has been seen in the subsequent game, when Zapata has maintained the service, and then has achieved the first break of the match to win the first set 6-4.
However, the second sleeve has been another story. Although it also started very evenly, Albert Ramos got his first break to go up 4-2 and, after another break, he prevailed in the second set by a clear 2-6.
And then the moment of truth has arrived. With the match even, it was Bernabé Zapata who took a step forward and managed to get up 3-0, with another break. However, Albert Ramos, a Grand Slam quarterfinalist, knew how to react and with another break, made it 4-4 and the match seemed to be decided in a tie-break.
But, once again, Bernabé Zapata has grown again and after securing his serve, he has managed to break that of the Catalan, former number 17 in the world, and has taken the last set for a new 6-4, qualifying for the semifinals of the Open from Rio and being only one game away from playing his first final of an ATP tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz will face the winner of the duel between Sebastián Báez and Nicolás Jarry in the semifinals, while Bernabé Zapata will face off against the always demanding Cameron Norrie. If both the Murcian and the Valencian manage to win their matches, there will be a Spanish final in Rio de Janeiro.
