Bautista won, Martínez Portero lost and Carreño had his match cancelled
World number 1, Italian Jannik Sinner, won by dropping a set
Paula Badosa wins on her return to Wimbledon and Sorribes says goodbye
MADRID, 1 (EUROPA PRESS)
Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz began his defence of his Wimbledon title on Monday, the third Grand Slam of the season to be played on grass, with a quick victory (7-6(3), 7-5, 6-1) over Estonian Mark Lajal, world number 269, in two hours and 24 minutes of play, while there was mixed news for the rest of the Spaniards, with Roberto Bautista winning in his debut, a defeat for Pedro Martínez Portero and Pablo Carreño withdrawing due to injury, while in the women’s category it was heads and tails for Paula Badosa and Sara Sorribes.
Alcaraz started the Wimbledon tournament with a convincing victory against Lajal, who was making his debut in a Grand Slam, who gave the Spaniard some trouble in the first two sets, but who ended up giving in in the third set. The Murcia native, who improved in the match, was able to overcome service breaks at the beginning of the first and second sets, to end up turning both around, while in the third he reached his best level of tennis to leave no chance.
Improving the number of unforced errors – 28 against the Estonian – and fine-tuning his serve – four aces, four double faults and 65 percent first-timers – should be the Spaniard’s goal for more demanding matches. What did work in Alcaraz’s game were the winners, 44 in total, an indication that he remains confident in his game despite the defeat at Queen’s against the British Jack Draper.
The start of the match was not easy for the Spanish tennis player. His lack of activity on grass – only one match this season – and having to face an opponent from the qualifiers played against Alcaraz. A fact that caused the Spaniard not to feel comfortable with his first serves, suffering more than expected, and even losing it in the fifth game of the set.
It was there, at 2-3 down, that the Spaniard clicked into place, recovering the break to love in the next game. A reaction that would serve the Spaniard to reach the tie-break. Sudden death Alcaraz started with a mini-break against him, but in which he gave the Estonian no chance, and he ended up winning 7-3, taking the first set in 55 minutes.
The second set started with a similar situation to the first, although this time the Estonian broke in Alcaraz’s first service game. However, as in the first set, the Murcian returned the score to equality with two consecutive games to love.
Two breaks at the first exchange rate that would be the only ones of the set until the ninth game when, with the score at 5-5, Alcaraz dealt the final blow to the set, breaking Lajal’s serve with five consecutive points and, subsequently, not failing to hold his serve at love to go two sets up in the match.
Alcaraz’s performance was much better in the third and final set. The Murcian did manage to take the lead after the first game, in which he broke the Estonian’s serve on his second opportunity. A break that he confirmed without difficulty in the next game, and which would not be the last of the set, since in the fifth game of the set he broke him again, to finally close the match with a 6-2.
A victory that puts Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of the tournament for the fourth consecutive edition of Wimbledon, where he will face this Wednesday the winner of the match between the Australian Aleksandar Vukic and the Austrian Sebastian Ofner.
MISPARATE RESULTS FOR THE REST OF THE NAVY AND SINNER’S SUFFERING
Despite facing the tournament’s twelfth seed, Spaniard Pedro Martínez Portero took his first round match to four sets (6-2, 6-1, 4-6 and 6-3) before falling to American Tommy Paul, thus bidding farewell to the Wimbledon grass on a somewhat happy note.
For his part, Pablo Carreño Busta was unable to play his match against Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, which was cancelled after the organisers announced the Asturian tennis player’s previous leg injury, which has kept him from winning at Wimbledon and which puts his presence at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in jeopardy.
Yes, Roberto Bautista Agut was able to play and win his first round match, beating the German Maximilian Marterer (6-3, 6-1 and 6-4) to celebrate a new triumph, two years later, in the British ‘Grand Slam’ and being able, if he continues like this, to return to the ‘Top 100’ of the ATP.
PAULA BADOSA HAS A GOOD REUNION WITH WIMBLEDON
In the women’s category, Paula Badosa had a good first contact with Wimbledon, a tournament that she left last year injured and where her nightmare began, from which she is still trying to overcome. With her back injury still present, this time she was able to beat her rival, the Czech Karolina Muchova, 6-3 and 6-2 in just one hour and twenty minutes of the match, also saving six break points.
Sara Sorribes, one of the Spanish representatives at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Badosa will not be, had worse luck. She has to focus on recovering her ranking. Against the Italian Jasmine Paolini, number 7 in the tournament, Sorribes fell in two sets by 7-5 and 6-3 without being able to cope with the Italian’s best serve.
2024-07-01 15:19:13
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