some “come on charles!” is being heard in the stands, this sunny Friday in contrast to the rain on Thursday. Shy because it’s not that alcaraz He needed a lot of encouragement to overcome his round of 16 match, in which Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell-Conde de Godó Trophy. And also because the cry almost sounds like sacrilege, no matter how much it is addressed to an 18-year-old prodigy, on the track that bears the honorable name of Rafael Nadal.
endured James Munar what it took to break his service, in the sixth game, his friend Alcaraz, with whom he was rallying this week on the same courts of RCT Barcelona. With the 3-2 for the one from El Palmar, the Mallorcan began to hesitate in the service and his rival, number 11 in the world, smelled blood. No sooner said than done, from 4-2 it went to 6-3 in which Munar’s pride and good game competed against strokes of a higher level, that of Alcaraz, his reflexes, intelligence and a severe, rigid, imposing right handwhich could fix dents.
Resistant, tempered in his serve, Munar was maintaining his service in the second set, although he was unable to disturb his opponent in some attempt to ‘break’. Under the gaze of his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, he tried to go for work Alcaraz, aware that every joule of energy would be invaluable, perhaps decisive, in a marathon day Like this Friday.
With breaking his service twice, the last in the final game of the second set and of the match, was enough for Alcaraz to overcome an even match against Munar and with solvency the round of 16, just a few hours before this Friday afternoon he will have to face the quarter crossing.
Tsitsipas, 6-1 and 6-3 to Dimitrov
Alcaraz will face nothing less than Stefanos Tsitsipas, number 5 in the world ranking and first seed of the tournamentwho took the same time as the Murcian to overcome their round of 16 clash, in this case against Grigor Dimitrovon the Jan Kodes track.
The Greek had an easy entry, overwhelming, with a resounding 6-1 in the first setbut in the second and final blows, breaks of service followed one another, until a double fault from his Russian rival allowed him to settle the match with a 6-3. Tsitsipas will arrive with one hour less rest than Alcaraz to the Rafa Nadal track. The one that will sing the “Come on, Carlos!”.