Rotterdam, Feb 8 (IANS) Carlos Alcaraz declared his latest performance at the Rotterdam Open a ‘perfect match’ after storming into his first ATP Tour semi-final of the season. The Spaniard dismantled compatriot Pedro Martinez 6-2, 6-1 on Friday, maintaining his dominance over countrymen with his 12th consecutive win against a fellow Spaniard.
“I played really good tennis today, a really high level. And I have done the right things again,” Alcaraz said after the match. “I was really focused before the match, on my things, on my own tennis. I tried to put everything in today. Being aggressive, pushing him to the limit every point. I think I did the perfect match and I am happy to keep improving every day. Hopefully in the semi-finals I will be even better.”
Alcaraz, 21, showed no signs of fatigue after needing three sets to overcome Botic van de Zandschulp in his Rotterdam debut. He followed that up with a commanding win over Andrea Vavassori in the second round and was equally dominant against Martinez, wrapping up their 71-minute clash in clinical fashion. The top seed fired 17 winners in the first set and never faced a break point.
The Spaniard has now joined an elite group of countrymen to reach the semi-finals at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, following in the footsteps of his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero (2004), Rafael Nadal (2009), and Pablo Carreno Busta (2020). Alcaraz will next meet Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in his 33rd tour-level semi-final as he seeks his first title since Beijing in October.
Martinez, 27, had been chasing his first tour-level semi-final but struggled to keep pace with Alcaraz’s power. Despite his exit, the Spaniard’s strong showing in Rotterdam—including wins over Roberto Bautista Agut and Holger Rune—has lifted him to No. 40 in the ATP Live Rankings.
In the final match of the day, Hurkacz booked his place in the last four by outlasting 2021 Rotterdam champion Andrey Rublev 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4. The eighth seed fired 17 aces en route to a two-hour, 27-minute victory, improving his Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Rublev to 4-2. The win also ensures Hurkacz’s return to the Top 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings, having briefly fallen out for the first time since April 2021.
Competing in his 21st tour-level semi-final and first since Halle in June, Hurkacz now has his sights set on his ninth ATP Tour title. With both Alcaraz and Hurkacz in top form, their semi-final showdown promises to be a thrilling contest at the Ahoy Arena.
–IANS
hs/
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
