Carlos Alcaraz will take the ATP throne for the third time after the Rome Masters. The young Spaniard made a winning debut at Foro Italico, doing enough to pass Novak Djokovic and securing to remain at the top until the end of Roland Garros.
Carlos met fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round at Foro Italico and scored a 6-4, 6-1 victory in an hour and 26 minutes
. Alcaraz made a slow start and experienced an early break. He pulled it back quickly and grabbed another return game at 5-4 to wrap up the opener and gain a boost ahead of set number two.
Carlos played well from both wings and fired 28 winners and 14 unforced errors. He dropped 13 points in nine service games, doing everything right behind the initial shot following that early setback and keeping the pressure on the other side.
Carlos Alcaraz made a winning debut at the Rome Masters.
Ramos-Vinolas gave away almost half of the points in his games and experienced four breaks from 12 chances offered to his rival. The more experienced player made a reliable start and broke in the encounter’s first game.
Albert denied three break points in the second game and brought it home after forcing Carlos’ error for 2-0 in rainy conditions. Alcaraz broke back in game four after the rival’s loose backhand and held at 15 in the next one to forge his first advantage.
Albert leveled the score at 3-3 with a service winner, and Carlos built another lead with a backhand down the line winner in the next one. The young gun opened a 5-4 gap with a backhand crosscourt winner in the ninth game and came from 40-15 down in the next one to extend it.
Alcaraz placed a perfect drop shot winner for a set point and seized when his rival landed a forehand long for 6-4 in 52 minutes. Carlos built a massive boost and barely lost a point behind the initial shot in the second set.
He led at 15 after an extended rally in the first game and grabbed his second straight game at 1-0 after Ramos-Vinolas’ mistake. The more experienced Spaniard survived break points in the fourth game to avoid another setback and a possible bagel.
Carlos moved 4-1 up with a service winner and fired a forehand down the line winner in the next one to secure another break and serve for the victory. Alcaraz held at love in game seven with a forehand crosscourt winner that propelled him over the top and into the third round.
