LIt was difficult to start and it was even more difficult to close. He had six match points. And it was in the seventh when Carlos Alcaraz managed to seal the match against a Hubert Hurkacz which was presented as the first major stumbling block for the Spanish on his way to the title.
Cold in the early stages of the game, lacking in rhythm as in the previous morning. The beginnings are hard for him, however, Alcaraz knew how to recover. He didn’t in the first set, but he did in the second. In both he let go of his service too soon. The first was unable to reverse it, but in the second reaction to the moment.
He was beginning to show the first signs of improvement. It was enough to connect better with his forehand, loosen up more and subtract better to put the differential note in a game that was escaping at accelerated pace.. It was presumably not an easy task, having the other side of the network at the 1.96 m tall Polish giantthat engages services at more than 200 km/h. Although Hurkacz was not fine in that eitherbecause I only registered a 52% first servesfor 59% of the Murcian.
A comeback with the trade of a champion
The tennis player from El Palmar had no choice but to, at 20, roll ex officio to resolve in the tiebreaker of the second sleeve. That was where we saw his best version, showing that solidity that led the Pole to despair. so much that crashed his racket on the groundan unusual gesture in a player who always goes unnoticed.
Alcaraz turned the duel around. So that led Hurkacz to make the same mistakes that led to his losing serve. The Polish I didn’t give in once, but twice. With 5-2 and serve, it was practically a fact that number one was moments away from certifying the pass to the quarterfinals. Too soon to claim victory.
The Pole still can’t find an explanation for how he was able to get one last chance out of his sleeve. AND Alcaraz wondered how from one moment to the next the roles had been exchanged. Two counterbreaks forced a tiebreak in the deciding set. Fortunately, the 26-year-old giant had no hand in either of the two sudden deaths.
First fire test passed. Not without suffering, which implies measuring yourself against great competitors like Hubert Hurkacz. The world number one is already waiting for a rival. Be tommy paul, his executioner last season in Canadian lands, who prevailed against the Californian Marcos Giron, in the early hours of this Friday. Are 14 consecutive wins already for Carlos Alcaraz. Not everyone shines. The greatness of the best also lies in knowing how to play games like this.
