Madrid [Spain], May 1 : The defending champion and World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday produced a stunning performance to beat Grigor Dimitrov to advance into the last 16 with a thoroughly entertaining match at the ongoing Madrid Open.
In a 6-2, 7-5 victory, Spsh teen sensation Alcaraz used his athletic game to get off to a quick start, then showed his grit to recover a break in the second set almost immediately.
He will next face Alexander Zverev in a rematch of last year's Madrid final, won by Alcaraz in straight sets.
In a one-sided opening set at Manolo Santana stadium, Alcaraz used his all-action game to seize command over Dimitrov. Alcaraz stated before the competition that he felt motivation rather than pressure from the Spsh crowd, and he demonstrated this by playing freely against the Bulgarian. Early on, he waved his racquet like a magic wand, pretending a cross-court slice before lifting a down-the-line pass past his stranded opponent.
Throughout the match, Alcaraz delighted his home crowd, with the aggressive Dimitrov contributing by forcing the Spard to rely on his world-class speed and defensive abilities. The top seed maintained a positive attitude throughout the 90-minute tournament and sprinted to the finish line by winning five of the final six games.
"I really want to play that match. We played a few times, head-to-head he is up. I really want to show my great level here in front of my home crowd. I have great memories from last year in the final but obviously I have to be really focused in that match. I know that Sascha is a really good player, a really aggressive one with good serves. I have to show all my skills," ATP.com quoted Alcaraz as saying.
The opponents are good friends who have been practising together this week in Madrid, which Alcaraz claimed has helped him fine-tune his techniques.
"When we practised, it helped me a lot in the tactical game, what I had to do. Obviously I was focussed on myself all the time, trying to hit the ball really clear and with a lot of power. That was the goal at the beginning of the match, trying to play aggressively all the time," Alcaraz said.
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