Tennis
The young tennis player from Murcia has to work hard to beat the South Korean Soonwoo Kwon (71 in the ATP) 6-1 and 2-6 and 6-2
After losing in Montecarlo at the first change, Carlos Alcaraz began the 69th Conde de Godó Trophy beating the Korean Kwon 2-1 (6-1/2-6/6-2) in a bitter match in which no He saw the best version of the Murcian but, despite a second null set, he managed to get through to the third round. Eager to show that his style of play can also work on clay, Carlos Alcaraz returns to compete in Spain as the fourth seed in the championship and, for the first time, with a Masters 1,000 in his pocket. The one from El Palmar is, after this victory, 23 points out of the top-10.
The match began with a first set in which Alcaraz had total and absolute control of the ball. With great personality and the presence on the court that characterizes him so much, Alcaraz was 2-0 with the first ‘break’ of the match thanks to his ease in creating winning shots as beautiful as they were decisive. He consolidated the break of serve by winning the third game of the set and, with undeniable authority, he took the double break to make it 4-0 on the scoreboard. A very calm first leg with very little sense of risk, scoring with solidity and stability. Kwon, his rival, didn’t know how to attack and do damage. With the 5-0 lead and everything against him, the Korean let go and managed to make his first game of the afternoon, which was a warning of what would come in the second round. The set ended 6-1.
The worst face of Carlos
The second third started the same way the first ended, with an overwhelming Carlos who took the first two games in just a few minutes. But, surprisingly, the relaxation of the Murcian and the desire of Kwon accomplished the impossible. With a whopping six consecutive games, the Korean made a comeback against a perplexed Alcaraz who, in a match where the wind was the protagonist, conceded numerous unforced errors. A reality check for Carlitos, who lowered his arms in a game apparently on track but treacherous where Kwon managed to wake up in time to radically turn the score around.
Alcaraz, activated after feeling on the ropes, relaxed the game and took it to his field to, with the baton in his hands, manage to channel the third and final set the way he wanted. With a service break in the first set, the Murcian was not surprised and in a few minutes he was already 3-1 up. The fourth game came after another ‘break’ in a set where he was once again much superior to his opponent and did not leave an opportunity to concede a break of service. With the 1-5 to his credit, Alcaraz only had to win his next serve to claim victory. “It has been difficult for me to get into his game and it has taken a bit of a toll on me,” he acknowledged after the end.
The Spanish Jaume Munar, number 101 in the ranking, will be Alcaraz’s next opponent in the round of 16 of the Conde de Godó Trophy. Alcaraz and Munar will face each other for the third time in an ATP match. The previous two ended with a victory for each.
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