At only 21 years old, Spain’s rising star Carlos Alcaraz continues to shine bright with an impressive collection of four Grand Slam singles titles. In a captivating matchup at the BNP Paribas Open last night, he swiftly defeated Canadian Denis Shapovalov with a score of 6-2, 6-4.
Currently the second seed at the Indian Wells outdoor tournament and holding the third spot in global rankings, Alcaraz took just 84 minutes to secure his place in the round of 16. He now awaits the winner of the duel between France’s Gael Monfils and Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov.
The talented Spaniard is on the hunt for his 15th consecutive victory at this prestigious ATP Masters 1000 event.
Despite piling up a few more unforced errors (17-15) than Shapovalov, Alcaraz showcased his skills with only five double faults and an impressive first serve percentage of 73% compared to Shapovalov’s 54%. He dominated the service games, winning eight out of nine, and managed to seize four out of nine return games.
Shapovalov had a mix of success with two aces but struggled with eight double faults, winning five of his nine service games while managing just one return game.
Reflecting on his performance, Alcaraz stated in his post-match interview, “I knew Denis started the season strong, showcasing impressive tennis with his title in Dallas and solid play in Acapulco, so I had to come out focused and strong. My aim was to establish good rallies from the get-go to find my rhythm. I anticipated a tough battle, and I’m thrilled with how I initiated the match.”
On his way to the third round, Shapovalov had previously defeated Australian Adam Walton with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory on Saturday.
