As happened to him at Roland Garros, Carlos Alcaraz had a long-suffering debut at Wimbledon. Despite the exponential growth as a tennis player in recent months, the first rounds in the Grand Slam titles are still quicksand that can leave one trapped. And it came to Alcaraz little.
Against Albert Ramos the Murcian came back and against Jan-Lennard Struff the same story was repeated, and that in the fourth set, with a 2-1 set in favor of the German, he was with a minibreak against and was able to get 3-0 down . An impossible arrival, with the point practically lost, allowed him to sneak a backhand passing unattainable for his rival. Without a doubt, a turning point in a match defined for the sixth time in his short career in Grand Slam titles in the final set.
Alcaraz, who will face the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the second round, has a balance of five wins in six matches played over five sets, which shows that, despite his youth, he is prepared to win in tough and intense matches such as those they give in the majors.
The Murcian tennis player, 19 years old and seventh in the ATP ranking, beat the 32-year-old German who is ranked 155 in the ATP. He achieved it by coming from behind (4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (3) and 6-4) after 4 hours and 7 minutes of battle on the grass of the All England Club.
At his Wimbledon premiere last year he did something similar. She then defeated Japan's Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. In the US Open of that same course, he surpassed the third and fourth rounds in matches also taken to the limit against the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 0-6 and 7-6 ( 5)) and against the German Peter Gojowczyk (5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 and 6-0).
The player from El Palmar's only loss in five sets came in the third round of the Australian Open, last January, when he fell to Italian Matteo Berrettini 2-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4 , 6-2 and 6-7 (5). He beat Ramos at Roland Garros a week ago 6-1, 6-7 (7), 5-7, 7-6 (2) and 6-4.
Alcaraz, who in 2022 has a record of 33 wins and 4 losses and has won the titles of the Masters 1,000 in Miami and Madrid and the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona, has won 15 of the 21 matches he has played in Grand Slam final draws and in his six appearances in top category tournaments he has passed at least one round, a streak that remains open after his victory against Struff.
In official matches on grass he has won two wins and lost in the second round of Wimbledon in 2021 at the hands of Russian Daniil Medvedev, current number 1 in the world, 4-6, 1-6 and 2-6. At the moment he has already achieved what he did then in London and his goal is to continue progressing, for which he will have to overcome Griekspoor, 25 years old and number 53 on the circuit, who in his debut got rid of the Italian Fabio Fognini, 35 and who He ranks 63rd, by 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 and 6-4.
The clash will be this Wednesday at a time yet to be determined and will be the third duel between the two. The first two took place in previous phases of minor tournaments.
