Alcaraz achieved his first ATP victory as world No. 1

Carlos Alcaraz He achieved his first victory in an ATP tournament as world No. 1 after defeating the British Jack Draper (3-6, 6-2, 7-5 in 2h.17′) in the first round of the indoor tournament on a hard court in baselthe town of Roger Federerperhaps a nod to the beginning career of the Murcian, called like the Swiss in his time to conquer the very high peaks in tennis.

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Alcaraz, the youngest number 1 player in tennis history at age 19, experienced a logical period of decompression after the physical and mental effort that was his victory in US Open. Hardly resting, he returned home and extended a hand to the Spanish team of Davis cup: it came to beat the South Korean Soonwoo Kwon (6-4, 7-6), but fell to the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime by 6-7, 6-4 and 6-2.

He then entered his first ATP tournament as the No. 1 in Astana (Kazakhstan)but there his batteries were still low and he gave up his debut match David Goffin (7-5, 6-3), thus ending the Spaniard’s 67-game streak of winning at least one set.

Alcaraz arrives in Basel more rested, the starting ramp towards the sprint of a season finale with big challenges ahead: the Masters 1,000 of Paris-BercyThe ATP Finals (the Masters)The Davis cup and finish the year as No. 1.

However, Carlos began his match with Draper with anxiety and had to overcome the loss of a first set in which he was too unsuccessful: 16 unforced errors for only three from his rival, who showed the weapons that led that’s his to win. this year figures like Diego Schwartzmann, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Dominic Thiem either Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The British, 20-year-old left-hander, is another young man with an interesting game that has already earned him a rocket into the world top-50: he started 2022 at No. 265 and this week he is 45th, a rise of 220 positions in just 10 months that he has earned a spot in Masters Next Gen Milan (November 8-12).

Jack, with a height of 1.93 meters, is focused on his sports career, but also has a specific contract with IMG as a model, a world he follows closely when time and schedule allow.

After an initial 3-6, Alcaraz had to step up her game and she righted herself with ease, another sign of the vast growth still evident in her tennis. He broke Draper’s serve from the start, attacked with more margin of error to minimize errors (just six in the second set) and held a second consecutive break at 6-2.

Carlos maintained that positive inertia in the third set and, with another break in the fifth set, came close to victory when he fell 4-2. However, Draper, always on the lookout for any mistakes by the Spaniard, returned the break after another failed game by Alcaraz (4-4) and forced him to make an extra effort when he was ahead at 4-5.

Since then, the Murcian has responded like the No. He’s 1 up, saves a very delicate serve to prevent the British from winning and then breaks his serve to close out the match on his third ‘match-ball’ (7-5), yes, saves before two balls are broken lead to a dangerous tiebreak.

Alcaraz will face the winner of the clash between the Dutch in the round of 16 Botic Van den Zandschulp (35th) and French Adrian Mannarino (42nd). Pablo Carreno (rooms), Felix Auger-Aliassime (semi-finals) and Casper Ruud (final), his rival in the historic final of his first title of Grand Slamwould become his theoretical opponents later.

Basel is looking for a successor to Federer, who has won there 10 times, counting the last three editions (2017, 2018, 2019). The tournament returns this year after a two-season absence due to the coronavirus.