MADRID, 16 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz could not this Friday with the inspired Felix Auger-Aliassime (6-7, 6-4 and 6-2) in the second match of the tie against Canada, corresponding to the ’round robin’ of the Finals of the Davis Cup that Valencia is hosting, so the North American country puts the 1-1, after Roberto Bautista beat a ‘touched’ Vasek Pospisil in three sets (3-6, 6-3, 6-3) in the first match against the Canadians.
The one chosen for the second match of the tie was Carlos Alcaraz, brand new winner of the US Open and new number one in the world, who fought a match in which he collided at all times with the courage and high level of tennis shown by Aliassime.
The start was very even. The Canadian was very orderly and disciplined, convinced to stand up to the Murcian, who started somewhat thicker than his rival. However, smart and effective tennis sustained a tense Alcaraz in the first set. Aliassime was very inspired in this initial attack, hardly making any unforced errors and connecting 14 winners, to Alcaraz’s 3. His powerful serve and a very reliable right, also to the rest, carried the Canadian flying, who managed to make the Spanish uncomfortable.
At 5-5 and serving for the Canadian, Alcaraz connected for the first time with the public at ‘La Fonteta’ with a great right cross that allowed him to raise his fist and shout to the stands. And it is that the local public had to play a crucial role to exert that characteristic pressure and lift the number one. But Auger-Aliassime was not daunted and continued with his festival of forehands and serves. The dominance shown by the Canadian throughout the set fell apart in the ‘tie-break’.
Auger-Aliassime hesitated on two key points and the Spaniard closed this first set with a 7-3 tiebreak, thanks to a point in which he opened the court to the Canadian and then finished with a parallel forehand and lifted the entire Valencian pavilion , saving a complicated first partial.
After an initial first round of adaptation to a slower track, the duel kept the same script in the second set. Without ‘breaks’ at the start, with 15-30 at 4-4, Alcaraz saved another point that could be dangerous with a great volley after stretching the court to the maximum for the Canadian with a great job from the baseline. However, Aliassime did not cease in his efforts to spoil the Spanish party and broke the Spaniard’s serve to make it 4-5 and serve to win the second round. And he did not fail with his serve and won the second set, perhaps tennis gave him back a first set in which he deserved more.
The Canadian continued to be plugged in, breaking in the first game of the third and final set and making it 3-1 with a very high level of tennis, after Alcaraz wasted up to four balls to recover his serve. The roller continued to hurt the Spaniard who saw how Aliassime made it 5-1, however, Alcaraz sold his defeat expensively and fought his few cards until the end. He made it 5-2 and saved a match point, but on the second Aliassime confirmed his good work during the almost three hours of the match.
BAUTISTA PUT THE FIRST 1-0 IN FAVOR OF SPAIN
In the first match of the day, Roberto Bautista scored a valuable victory that gave Spain the first point at stake. For this, he needed courage to get rid of a rival who played at a very good level and who did not even give any facilities when he suffered physical problems at the beginning of the third round.
The player from Castellón found himself in a more complicated match than initially expected. Davis does not understand favoritism and Pospisil himself had verified it in his suffered debut on Tuesday and took pains to turn that situation around.
His service, one of his best weapons, worked perfectly for the Canadian, who also added an extra dose of confidence to his tennis, with which he made the Spanish very uncomfortable. Therefore, the sleeve was decided by small details.
The American knew how to take advantage of his opportunity to break the rest in the sixth game to break and get a 4-2 that settled him even more and put Bautista off center a bit, with problems to disturb the rest. But the one from Castellón also finally had his chance, just when his rival was serving to close the set. The Spanish number two today got 15-40, but a ‘passing’ that went by centimeters and the tape saved Pospisil, who later did not forgive.
Bautista did not feel this blow and took pains to raise the level of his tennis. That, and a certain drop in the Canadian’s performance, allowed him to be more comfortable, much more so when he got the long-awaited ‘break’ at the beginning.
The Spanish tennis player was much more solid and managed to withstand the attacks of the American, less successful in his blows, but who still managed to bring some concern to the stands in a couple of his opponent’s services, although he never gave him an option of breakage throughout the set and closed it firmly.
The panorama began to clear up for the man from Castellón at the beginning of the second quarter. The physical problems attacked the Canadian and he began to look somewhat diminished on the track, despite receiving the relevant medical attention.
Still, he was able to play his tricks, risking as much as possible on his shots and shorten the points, and set himself up with a threatening 30-40 in the fourth game. Bautista managed not to be prey to nerves to save the situation and break the American’s serve in the next one. Pospisil did not give up, but ended up taking a knee after two and a quarter hours.
