A hard-fought match, always in the balance, with the Spaniard who after the victory paid homage to the 34-year-old German by applauding him. Carlos will face Rublev in the quarterfinals
With enormous effort and a totally scared centre-back, Carlitos Alcaraz eliminates a formidable Jan-Lennard Struff and advances to the quarter-finals in Madrid, where he will face Andrey Rublev, against whom the score is 1-1 (Carlos won the last comparison at the Finals in Turin). The German, who was coming off the success of Munich (the first ATP tournament of his career), in the best moment of his tennis life is very close to avenging the final he lost last year in the Spanish Masters 1000. At 34 years old Struff is as strong as ever and never mind if with the points lost he will end up outside the top-30. By playing like this in a short time he can aim for the top 20 in the world. Rejoicing more than usual due to the scare and after 4 wasted match points, Alcaraz, always under the eyes of Raul (Real Madrid legend), wins over Manolo Santana 6-3 6-7 (5) 7-6 (4) in two hours and 55 minutes. It is the Spaniard’s third consecutive victory against the German, a hard-fought one like the others (in 3 sets last year, in 5 sets in the first round of Wimbledon 2022).
HE MATCH
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Struff forces him to take advantage on the first rounds of service, but Carlitos holds his ground and then spreads in the sixth game, taking the break at 15. Alcaraz maintains the advantage and closes 6-3 on the third set point. Carlitos also opens the second set in a great way, with another break that almost gives the German the final blow. Up to this point everything works in the Spaniard’s day: from the patented muffled forehand, up to the crossed backhand which finds very complicated angles for the German. But Struff is a very tough nut to crack and finds the counter-break with a superb response in the fourth game. At 5-5 the German comes back from 0-30 with 4 consecutive points and secures the tie-break. At 3-3 Carlitos throws a forehand into the corridor and Struff flies, obtaining 3 set points and converting on the third chance, with a central shot that is evaluated as out and instead turns out to be good after the challenge is verified.
THE END
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Carlitos understands that the match is in danger and sprints in the fourth game of the third set, finding the break on the second occasion, due to the explosion of Manolo Santana and Alcaraz, who celebrates more than usual and releases the tension. At 4-2 the number 3 in the world is scared again, but hits a second monstrous shot on the break point and saves himself. Jan-Lennard serves to stay in the match and succeeds: in the following game the German seems out of the tournament when Carlos has 3 match points, but cancels them all and cancels the fourth thanks to the Murcian’s double fault. In a crazy game, Struff has 3 break points (disasters for the 2023 Wimbledon winner) and converts on the third chance. The match is sensationally reopened and the Madrid central defender experiences a ghostly atmosphere: the field widens for the German, deadly and overwhelming with his forehand. The touch at the net that brings Struff to the break point again is wonderful, but Alcaraz saves himself with 3 consecutive points. We go to the second consecutive tie-break and there Struff seems to deflate. The Spaniard is 3-0 up, but starts throwing away points again and devours a sensational forehand in an open court: it turns 3-3!
ALCARAZ RELIEF
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Struff, who thought about going to the shower at least 3 times during the match, still finds himself down 4-5, but has two serves. This time, however, Carlos gets two more match points thanks to a return-lob combo. And another response gives Alcaraz an indescribably difficult match. Carlos pays homage to Struff, applauding him as he leaves the pitch.
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2024-04-30 17:30:39
#Madrid #Alcaraz #suffers #wins #Struff #set #quarterfinals
