Carlos Alcaraz made a successful return to the Australian Open on Tuesday however the Spanish second seed confronted some early resistance from French veteran Richard Gasquet earlier than cruising to a 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-2 victory within the opening spherical.
The muscular 20-year-old, who skipped final yr’s match with a proper leg subject, appeared overly exuberant at occasions as he sought fast progress at Melbourne Park however composed himself to grind down his seasoned opponent and blow him away.
“It’s all the time nice to play right here in Australia, it’s the third time that I’m taking part in right here,” stated Alcaraz, who will meet Italian Lorenzo Sonego within the second spherical.
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“I didn’t have a great run within the years that I’ve performed right here however I loved it loads right this moment. I missed final yr and felt actually good taking part in right here.
“I struggled a bit of bit within the first set together with his sport however each set I’ve been taking part in a bit higher and in the long run I used to be at a great degree.”
Gasquet regarded like he had simply taken a dip within the close by Yarra river for a lot of the primary set as Alcaraz made him sweat for factors however the 37-year-old held agency and drew degree at 3-3 within the tiebreak with a wide ranging backhand winner.
Nevertheless, Alcaraz raised his degree from there to go a arrange and the floodgates opened because the Wimbledon champion racked up a 3-0 lead within the subsequent earlier than doubling his benefit within the match, showcasing a mixture of explosive forehands and deft photographs.
With Gasquet fading, Alcaraz stepped up one other gear on a balmy night on Rod Laver Enviornment for the early break within the third set and settled the competition on serve, ending with a fiery ace out vast on his fifth match level.