The 19-year-old is bidding to successfully defend a tour-level title for the first time this week in Catalunya and took a confident first step towards that goal with a hard-hitting display against the No. 79-ranked Borges. Alcaraz was sharp on return off both wings throughout the 63-minute encounter and converted five of seven break points to improve to 19-2 for the season.
“I feel great. Playing here in Barcelona, [my] first match on clay since Rio [in February],” said Alcaraz. “I feel great. Moving well, hitting the ball really well so I feel a lot of confidence playing here in Barcelona. It’s a really special place for me.”
Prior to their match, Borges had spoken about being impressed by the 16-year-old Alcaraz’s ‘huge hitting’ at a tournament in Spain three years ago. He was soon reacquainted with Alcaraz’s clean ballstriking on Pista Rafa Nadal, where the home favourite quickly opened a 5-1 lead.
Alcaraz had not competed since Miami in March after missing last week’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters due to post-traumatic arthritis in his left hand and muscular discomfort in the spine. There were some signs of rustiness from the Spaniard, and uncharacteristic unforced errors helped Borges reclaim a break in the eighth game. That was as good as it got for the 26-year-old, however. Alcaraz dropped just one more game in the match to improve to 6-1 at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899.
The top seed, who has lifted titles in Buenos Aires and Indian Wells already this year, is guaranteed to face a fellow Spaniard in the third round in Catalunya. Roberto Bautista Agut and Bernabe Zapata Miralles face off for the right to take on the defending champion in the final match of the day on Pista Rafa Nadal.
Source Tennis – ATP World Tour
