Melbourne [Australia], January 20 : The World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz laid down a marker on Saturday at the Australian Open, where the Spaniard outclassed Shang Juncheng 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 before the Chinese teenager was forced to retire due to injury.
For the first time, the 20-year-old Alcaraz went up against a younger opponent, and he was in a vicious mood at Rod Laver Arena to make it to the Melbourne fourth round.
Shang had his upper right thigh bandaged when he entered the match and had treatment for the injury during the second set. Shang had played nine sets in his previous two matches. Alcaraz took advantage of Shang's occasional movement difficulties as the World No. 140 by moving him from corner to corner for 66 minutes.
"I'm feeling great. Probably a seven or eight [out of 10]. It's a high note. But that's how I feel. I think I'm improving every day. Every match that I'm playing, I'm feeling better and better. Moving, hitting the ball, and, of course, I'm getting used to this court as well. I didn't play so much on this court. I think everything is good. I am taking good things from the court, from the level that I'm playing. Hopefully, it's going to be better and better," Alcaraz was quoted as saying by ATP.
Elsewhere, French wild card Arthur Cazaux advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday after defeating the 28th-seeded Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets.
The 21-year-old, who competed as an alternate at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah last November, won 6-3, 6-3, 6-1, dominatingly and raising his arms to the delight of French supporters on Court 3.
"I knew I could play this kind of level, but I had never proven it in a real match. Proving it in the first round gave me even more confidence and now I know I can beat this kind of player during a real match. Now I'm not feeling any pressure. I've worked very hard on my mentality and I'm ready to fight everyone; I'm ready to fight in every match and to give everything on the court," Arthur Cazaux said.
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