The delicious adoration of those who see him for the first time against a truly insidious trap. Toronto has not yet known what it would be like to watch Carlitos live -he played the Canadian Masters 1,000 in Montreal but not in the city of Ontario-, but Carlos Alcaraz is waiting for the adaptation to the hard court, he returned to the scene after two week without competing and the rival is no longer a direct witness: Ben Shelton, one of the Americans who hits the ball but is good at serving, kamikaze in the rallies and has the motivation to face him for the first time also from Murcia , who still brought out the solvency of the number 1 when he had to suffer not to tire himself more than expected (6-3 and 7-6 (3)) after 1 hour and 38 minutes of play.
At 20 years old as Carlitos, Shelton vowed to be as brave as the US Open and Wimbledon champion. An open grave in the exchanges, as long rallies are not his thing, the world number 41 beat Bernabé Zapata in the previous round and accepted the challenge of facing the Murcian.
In his classic American style, the left-hander from Georgia gave Alcaraz problems in the second set with his power and variety of serves -often over 200 km/h-, without giving chance for the player from El Palmar to break. he sealed the second round with calm, smart tennis and capitalized on the mistakes of a Shelton who succumbed to the pressure that Carlitos handled better each time.
Alcaraz also happens to have many American characters. Also in the most important thing, the service. Especially important on nights like yesterday, not only the speed but also the positioning and a diabolical effect of the topspin in the seconds and also in the first when it was convenient to surprise, the disciple of Juan Carlos Ferrero did not lose his service and did not allow to be damaged any more. ball beyond three in the first game of the first set.
But for the show, Carlos is very American. With his natural spontaneity, he likes to give it out and knows that the fans in America are crazy about him. And they thank him even when he misses -as if the important thing is the intention despite the mistake- or raise whispers of admiration even for blows that don’t accompany like a cut so perfect that it hardly bounces afterwards of the ball outside of Shelton.
When he wasn’t innovating by improvising, it was like a forced blow in the middle of the court on the turn that forced the American into a complicated smash that ended up outside. He understands the American product perfectly. Maybe that’s why the first Grand Slam he won was in the magic of the Big Apple.
Shelton knew early on that if he wanted this show to not end anytime soon, he had to make it more effective than pretty. Running away from the long rally because Carlos Alcaraz’s power, with his variety, is far superior. The Murcian is superior enduring demanding exchanges, and when he does not release the whip on the forehand or backhand -great weak point of the American-, he breaks him based on the angles.
The American’s chances depended almost exclusively on serving and the world number 41 applied it to the letter in the second set, not giving the player from El Palmar a break ball and shortening the points as much as possible.
But Alcaraz also has a lot of serve to endure in these conditions and, above all, one of his management in the tie-break as another example with 4-2 as the turning point, an increasingly polished wood of a winner . Like his English, more relaxed and refined. Carlitos is happy in America.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
