M1000 TORONTO. By Emiliano Naftali
Carlos Alcaraz has secured a commanding victory in his debut at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto. He did so against another American, Ben Shelton, with set scores of 6-3, 7-6(3).
The Spanish player now holds a record of 19-2 when playing as the No. 1 seed in Masters 1000 tournaments and 64-8 overall on the ATP Tour. Alcaraz needed a break of serve in the first set and to remain focused in the second set to achieve his 40th victory in Masters 1000 matches. Furthermore, he now boasts a streak of 13 consecutive wins and a season record of 48-4.
“I tried to play at my best level, but it wasn’t easy,” said Alcaraz, who hit 19 winners and made eleven unforced errors (compared to 22 winners and 10 unforced errors for the American). “He was more aggressive than me from the beginning to the last ball. I tried to be solid and find my rhythm, and I’m very happy to have progressed to have an opportunity in the next round.”
“This match will help me stay more focused in the next round, to prioritize my game right from the start of the match,” added the twelve-time champion on the ATP Tour.
His next opponent will be Polish player Hubert Hurkacz, the 17th seed, who comes off a 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic. The Murcian player leads 1-0 in their head-to-head record in Lexus ATP HeadToHead matches, having previously defeated Hurkacz in the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami.