Roman Safiullin has been playing some really solid tennis for much of this year, and it's why Carlos Alcaraz wasn't stunned by his level during their recent Paris Masters match.
Roman Safiullin might have been a Challenger player two years ago, but slowly, the Russian played himself into the Top 100, and he's proven this year that he definitely belongs there.
Posting a 41-24 record on the ATP Tour is no joke, which is why he's Top 50 as of now. He has a heavy game with powerful serves and really solid shots from both sides.
Indoor conditions suit his game pretty well, as he played indoors a lot over the years. He certainly brought the heat against Alcaraz in Paris, sensationally beating him in two sets. The Spaniard was asked whether he was surprised by the level Safiullin brought, and he said that he wasn't.
Well, he didn't surprise me at all, because I knew that he has, you know, he has been playing a great level these last few months, you know, beating big guys, reaching finals. I knew that he was going to play a high level. Yeah, he didn't surprise me at all.
It's been indeed that good for the Russian on Tour lately. He played the Chengdu final, losing to Alexander Zverev, but avenged that loss not long after that by beating the German.
Overall, it's just been a really good year for him, and that's why Alcaraz wasn't surprised by it. Much of the way Safiullin was able to play had to do with Alcaraz, who didn't move well at all.
He was late on quite a few balls and generally struggled to really play on a high level. In the same press conference, Alcaraz admitted that he didn't feel too well on the court, which certainly helped his opponent as well.
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