The first-ever match Carlos Alcaraz played at the ATP Finals was a losing effort against a solid Alexander Zverev.
This was a really exciting match for both players as they played on a similar level. Alcaraz hadn't played much leading up to this event, so some struggles from him were expected.
Zverev himself looked quite tired in recent weeks but bounced back well for this event after a week of rest. The German took the early lead in the opening set after some erratic play from Alcaraz but then lost the advantage not long after that.
Alcaraz settled nicely later on, nearly winning the set in the final 12th game of the opening set. He failed to convert the set points but did much better in the tiebreak, winning it 7-3.
Despite that huge boost, Alcaraz came out a bit flat in the second set, allowing Zverev to take an early break. From there, Zverev was able to hold his advantage with his serve.
He dropped only two points on his serve in the entire second set, never allowing a single break point. The serve was the crucial weapon for the German as it powered him through the match.
For example, in the final set, Zverev did well to break Alcaraz early but then rolled his ankle midway through the set. Thankfully, he was fine to continue playing, but a few painful expressions certainly indicated that some pain was being felt.
Luckily for him, he didn't have to play a lot of long rallies because his serve was keeping most of them short. The final score ended up being 6-7(3) 6-3 6-4 for Zverev, who finished with a really impressive stat line.
It was a good start for him, especially after losing the opening set in heartbreaking fashion. After all, he was a champion here two years ago.
0 Comments