The Murcian, who started as the second favourite, fell to Paul in a duel riddled with ups and downs in which he went from more to less
After losing two consecutive finals on clay, Carlos Alcaraz crashed this Wednesday during his Canadian Masters 1,000 debut on fast ground and fell to American Tommy Paul (world No. 34) 6-7 (4), 7 – 6 (7) and 6-3. Alcaraz started second seed in Montreal, but with many doubts and irregularities throughout the match, the young Murcian player was unable to show his favorite credentials. In a duel strewn with ups and downs in which Alcaraz went from more to less, the American came back and gave the big surprise the Spanish scoop, whose debut on the American tour was disappointing.
Alcaraz dominated the first tiebreak with authority and reacted unsuccessfully in the second round, in which he also failed to prevent another sudden death. In the final set, the Murcian was already surpassed by the ambition and drive of the brave Paul. This time, Alcaraz did not react as he found himself in a critical situation and bitterly bid the Canadian tournament farewell. Alcaraz saved four match points in the last set at 5-2 and 5-3 in favor of Paul, but the American did not feel the pressure in the fifth that he had to close a game that lasted three hours and twenty minutes.
Alcaraz had the win on the track as he led 1-4 in the second round, but suffered when the first serve didn’t come in and Paul came back to 5-4. So at such a complicated stage it was time to take a step forward, though Alcaraz lacked consistency in his game to judge. From dominated Alcaraz he then became dominant, but without continuity in his tennis. After the disappointments in the finals in Hamburg and Umag, the Spaniard’s play and mental strength were not at the level expected against an inferior rival.
The current number four on the ATP ranking, who was aiming for his fifth title of the year in Montreal and looking to get closer to number one for the big event of the US Open, kicked off the tour ahead of the final Grand Slam of the season. with an unexpected and painful stumble. The crash could have been more complicated with the first sudden death, but he didn’t give Paul any options there. Once the first set was secured, Alcaraz quickly wanted to put land between them, but that ran out. After the American had to surrender to the possible strikes and deployment of the tennis player from El Palmar, Paul took advantage of the Murcian’s disconnect to force Alcaraz into an extra effort that the Spaniard failed to complete despite his character.
In what was his 50th game of the season, in which he was confirmed as the big sensation after climbing from 32nd in the world ranking to the ‘top 4’, very close to Rafa Nadal, absent from Montreal, Alcaraz did not know he was able to grow in self-esteem for Paul. The American has only one title in his career, but he didn’t crease, he tried to face Alcaraz and outperformed him in a duel with many more shadows than lights of the Spaniards.
Alcaraz had never played the Masters 1,000 in Canada, nor had he played against Paul, and the center court of the tournament was reserved for his debut. However, on such a privileged podium, the Spaniard alternated with moments of good play and plenty of inconsistency, especially with his serve. After playing golf last weekend with his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Pablo Carreño, the Murcian hit a bump at the Montreal circuit, where he failed when he took the win.
Source: La Verdad
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