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Carlos Alcaraz beat Adam Walton in the first round at Queen’s, marking his return to grass since Wimbledon.
Carlos Alcaraz in action (X)
Carlos Alcaraz overcame a challenging first-round match against Australia’s Adam Walton at Queen’s on Tuesday.
The Spaniard, playing on grass for the first time since winning his second Wimbledon title last year, defeated his 86th-ranked opponent 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) on a sweltering day in west London.
Just nine days after his five-set thriller win against Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros, Alcaraz broke in the seventh game and secured the first set against Walton. Walton, who replaced Alejandro Davidovich Fokina due to the latter’s withdrawal from illness, showed resilience and created two set points in the tenth game. However, he couldn’t convert, and Alcaraz eventually won the tie-break.
Alcaraz wrote “Grass season, here we go!” on the courtside camera lens, thanking fans for their vocal support and expressing his appreciation for feeling “loved” in London.
“First match on grass is never easy to get used to the competition again, to get used to the grass again,” he said. “So, I just want to say thank you for helping me a little bit.”
The world number two mentioned that he took time off after his exhausting French Open win to “reset” his mind and rest.
Earlier, British second seed Jack Draper defeated American Jenson Brooksby 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the second round. The left-hander, who has previously beaten Sinner and Alcaraz at Queen’s, won 93 percent of first-serve points and did not face a break point in a dominant performance.
Draper is aiming for his second grass-court title after winning in Stuttgart last year. He will next face Alexei Popyrin, who beat compatriot Aleksandar Vukic.
“Feels amazing, no place I’d rather be,” said Draper. “We travel the world playing tennis, never get to come home or spend much time with my family but to be on this court in front of you guys, my people, my family, thank you.
“It’s tricky coming onto the grass after clay, to adapt, I’m hitting the ball a bit late, not on time. The more matches and time I have on practice courts I’ll get better and better.”
Czech world number 30 Jiri Lehecka upset rusty fifth seed Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-2 in the opening match on the Andy Murray Arena.
(with inputs from agencies)
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
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