Alcaraz salvaged a hard-fought debut at Queen’s and advanced to the round of 16

Carlos Alcaraz He had to work hard on Tuesday to salvage a very complicated debut in the Queen’s ATP 500at the beginning of his tour of grass. The world number 2 made his tournament debut with a win in first round against the french Arthur Rinderknecht through 4-6, 7-5 and 7-6(3).

On a sunny day, finally with no sign of rain, Alcaraz saw how his first morning plan had changed. His rival was the French Arthur PhilYes, but this one withdrew from the contest, leaving his place to a ‘lucky loser’ who took some time to fully participate in the match.

because rinderknechwho stayed at the previous stage, did not take the slightest to put in the suit of the competition. The Frenchman has been reliable with his serve, aggressive, ready to find the serve-net every time trying to put Alcaraz in trouble. So, the Spaniard will have to work hard to salvage a debut in which, after losing the first set, he has no margin for error, but in which he gained experience and know how to act in important moments to claim victory. Juan Carlos Ferrero’s student has played (46 winners to 16 unforced errors) to break the resistance of the French player.

Alcaraz gradually gained momentum in the match, especially in the remaining ones due to difficulties in many moments to counter Rinderknech’s aggressive game. The Frenchman is clear that his chance is to find the net to try to make the track as small as possible for the Spaniard, who has problems to dominate from below on a surface that favors the aggressive game.

Waiting for your chance Alcaraz already saw how it came at 3-3 in the first set. So, you have 15-40, but you see how Pulling first serves is French which saved the game to leave him with no margin for error. The Spaniard paid it in mind to eighth play of the first quarter, with one game plagued by errors to see how a break that is the advance of the first set is blanked out: 6-3 for Rinderknech.

Alcaraz has not yet collapsed from the blow received. Secure on his serves, he never wavered in the second set, ready to measure his rival’s fight to the end. Rinderknech, equally comfortable on serve, held to 5-5 and saw how doubts about the game being a tie-break took its toll: Aggressive with the remainder before his turn, Alcaraz earned a break to close later, not without suffering after two wasted choices, the 7-5 that brought the game to the third set.

He had the option to give his rival a moral blow at the start of the set, but Rinderknech threw again to salvage a 15-40 lead. it has been paid Alcaraz, who immediately renounced his service. Of course, rest recovery is also a few seconds for the Spaniard to regain a rhythm on his serve, his forehand was comfortably hit and his rival had no choice. Rinderknech had not given them his services until the 4-4, where he saved a break ball for the match to go to a tie-break.

Here, a good defensive recovery at the start of Alcaraz produced the best display of all his punches: left, a millimeter balloon for 3-1 and some errors from Rinderknech that made the number 2 in the world distance up to 6-1. The Frenchman saved two match points, but surrendered the third to see Alcaraz advance to the round of 16.

In this way, with a lot of filming on the legs after more than two and a half hours of play, Alcaraz will challenge in the round of 16 Jiri Lehecka, number 36 in the world. It leaves this Tuesday at Alexander Davidovich with a 7-6(4) and 6-3 to cross the path of number 2 in the world. Alcaraz against the Czech, in the first clash between the two, will try to grow on the sensations and continue to adjust the habits on the grass with the aim of advancing to the tournament in London.