- Carlos Alcaraz made it to the round of 16
- He beat Dusan Lajovic to progress to the fourth round
- He needs this victory to secure his top ATP ranking
Carlos Alcaraz made it to the round of 16 at the Miami Open after defeating Dusan Lajovic.
The world No.1 beat the Americana 6-0 7-6 (7-5) to make it to the last 16 and set an appointment with another American tennis player, Tommy Paul.
Alcaraz, 19, has only lost one match out of 17 matches this year and he is looking at winning the Miami Open to keeping his world No.1 ranking. He climbed on top of the ranking following his win at Indian Wells last week.
At the Miami Open qualifying round, Alcaraz spent the first set breaking down his Serbian opponent and continued to exert pressure all the way to a victory.
He experienced his first serve break in the second set at 5-4 before winning the match in a tiebreak. The Spaniard had his first serve break in the second set at 5-4 before winning the match in a tiebreak.
Carlos Alcaraz. Photo/Daiy Express
Speaking to atptour, he said “I feel fast on court, I am moving well. I am happy with the variety I am playing (with). Lots of shots. I am enjoying every single second out there.”
Alcaraz finished off a strong run to win his first BNP Paribas Open title after defeating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-2. The one-time Grand Slam champion went undefeated in six sets at Indian Wells to reclaim the top ATP rankings.
Alcaraz is the eighth and youngest person to ever win both legs of the Sunshine Double in his career, Indian Wells and Miami Open.
He is now a three-time ATP Masters 1000 champion and the defending champion in Miami Open and Madrid Open. He joins fellow countryman Rafael Nadal as the only athlete to have captured at least three Masters 1000 titles while still a teenager, with Nadal having accomplished this feat six times before turning 20.
Speaking after the Indian Wells match, Alcaraz said that getting back to the top felt good after missing the Australian Open due to an injury he picked when training.
Carlos Alcaraz. Photo/Sporting Life
“It means a lot to me. To recover the No. 1 [ranking] is crazy for me. But especially to lift the trophy here for me means a lot… I love this tournament. I really enjoy my time here and of course I felt the love from the people from day one. For me, it’s amazing to complete these 10 days like this,” ATP Tour stated further.
Alcaraz handled the windy desert conditions brilliantly at the BNP Paribas Open. He was calm yet aggressive with his game plan paying off with an early break in both sets.
The top seed ended Medvedev’s 19-match and three-tournament winning streak. Alcaraz jumped off to an early 3-0 lead in the first set and continued that momentum in the second set, winning the first 10 games to take a 4-0 lead.
Alcaraz out-hit Medvedev 18 to 5, scoring 10 of 13 net points in an all-action victory. The Spaniard frequently had success with his famous drop shot, capitalising on his opponent’s deep-court positioning.
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