Stomachache forces him to leave for Rune, ending with the Spaniard taking part in the final Masters 1,000 of the season
With a set-down and after failing to return Holger Rune, Carlos Alcaraz decided his body couldn’t take it anymore. A pain on the left side, near the abdomen, had tormented him throughout the match and, given the prospect of the rest of the season, the Spaniard decided to leave and retire in the quarter-finals of the Paris-Bercy Masters 1,000 against Rune ( 6-3 and 6-6 ret.).
The Murcian played a discreet game until physical problems gave him the finishing touch at the end of the second set. Rune was a level up and the fact that he was physically injured didn’t make much sense to continue in a match that would force him to play another set at best. In those painful circumstances and with his first ATP final and first Davis Cup final on the horizon, there was no point in trying to force it.
That Yes, Alcaraz’s withdrawal does not detract from Rune, very fine throughout the match and able to take winning shots from under the stones. The Dane, known for his controversial nature, shot to 28 winners, leaving Alcaraz with just 15.
Rune started very well with six straight points in the game and never lost momentum. He was the first and only breakpoint in the first set and didn’t concede a single breakpoint on his serve. He had a ‘break’ opportunity to take the lead in the second as well, but Alcaraz gradually began to find the key to extending the runs and preventing Rune from winning the substitutions in just two or three shots.
His chances came in the eighth game, with two breakballs that he missed. It would be the last one he enjoyed. When the Murcian, visibly upset, threw a ball against the ceiling and received booing from the stands, it was clear that something wasn’t right this Friday.
When, after putting the 6-5 on the scoreboard, he asked for the presence of the physio on the track, the fears were confirmed. The doctor treated him on the couch for two minutes, applied a cream and gave him a massage and Alcaraz played again. But he only lasted a few minutes. Rune forced the tiebreak and led 2-1. It was Alcaraz’s turn to serve, who brought the serve into play and the rest of the Dane couldn’t even hit back. He went straight to the net and told the chair umpire he was here. He congratulated Rune and went to the locker room, to Juan Carlos Ferrero’s attentive and serious look.
The tennis player from El Palmar leaves Paris with a 1,000 point lead over Rafael Nadal in the battle to become number one. This honor will be decided at the next ATP Finals to be played in Turin from November 14-21. There are 1,500 points at stake. It may be worth it for Alcaraz to win all three group stage matches to prevent Nadal from overtaking him and to become the second Spaniard in history to finish the course best. But yes, first it will be necessary to know what the condition of the abdomen is.
Source: La Verdad
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