Carlos Alcaraz missed the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open due to a right arm injury. But, back on the court in Madrid, the Spanish star produced an impressive display to beat his opponent Alexander Shevchenko in the second round.
Alcaraz won the match 6-2, 6-1 in 68 minutes to prove why he is the defending champion. Right from the start of the match, he showed aggression, pushing Shevchenko to the right and left baseline of the court. The 20-year-old won 24 winners while his Kazakhstani opponent won two.
With the two-time Madrid Champion returning from a forearm injury that forced him to withdraw from Barcelona and Monte Carlo, many were expecting a sign of struggle. But the Spaniard was clinical, producing eye-catching groundstrokes and converting 11 of his 12 net points.
After the match, Alcaraz was asked about his right arm, as he was wearing a compression sleeve while playing. He revealed that despite not feeling 100 percent comfortable, he’s happy to compete again.
Not at all (on his arm giving him trouble). But I’m thinking about it. It’s something that’s not gonna leave my mind.. I’ve been doing good things in practice. But I’m not feeling comfortable playing my forehand 100%. Playing at this level, I’m really happy. I think I can be competitive.Carlos Alcaraz said
Hopefully, Alcaraz can play the Madrid Open with a good right arm as he’s one of the gifted players to watch. He also remains the favorite to win the Madrid title.
Carlos Alcaraz earns 12 consecutive wins in Madrid as he faces Thiago Seyboth Wild next
Carlos Alcaraz has now won 12 consecutive matches in Madrid. The back-to-back Mutua Madrid Open champion is aiming for his third title. If he goes on to win the remainder of his matches in Madrid, he will become the first player in the tournament to win three consecutive titles.
But, before he dreams of that, he will have to beat his next opponent, Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild, in the third round. No. 63 Seyboth Wild shockingly defeated 28th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-4, and will be hoping to upset the champion on Sunday.
However, that will be difficult to figure out, as Alcaraz has only lost one in his last ten matches. Last month, he defended the Indian Wells Masters, beating Jannik Sinner. Despite a slow start to the season, he has begun to live up to expectations.
