Alcaraz, pasok na sa last 16 sa Miami
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - MARCH 26: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain shakes hands at the net after his straight sets victory against Dusan Lajovic of Serbia in their third round match at Hard Rock Stadium on March 26, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by CLIVE BRUNSKILL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Umabante na sa last 16 ng Miami Open ang world number one na si Carlos Alcaraz makaraang talunin si Dusan Lajovic ng Serbia sa score na 6-0, 7-6 (7/5), at manatili sa landas para sa “Sunshine Double” ng tennis.
Ang 19-anyos na Spaniard, na tumalo kay Daniil Medvedev upang makuha ang kampeonato sa Indian Wells noong isang linggo, ay nasa magandang kondisyon nang daigin si Lajovic sa first set upang manatili ang kaniyang depensa.
Sinabi ni Alcaraz, “Everything was under control or I thought it was but, you know, in the match it’s never easy. The nerves came out. I made a few mistakes that I hadn’t done during the whole match. So it was tough to win the match. But I’m really happy with the level that I’m playing and it was a good match.”
Susunod namang makakaharap ni Alcaraz sa last 16 ang American player na si Tommy Paul.
Ayon kay Alcaraz, “I lost the first and only match that I played against Tommy. I know that he’s a really talented and really tough player, so I have to play at my best and let’s see what’s going to happen.”
Dahil si Rafael Nadal ay nagtamo ng injury at si Novak Djokovic naman ay pinagbawalang pumasok sa US dahil sa kaniyang pagtanggi na magpabakuna laban sa COVID-19, kaya’t si Alcaraz ang magiging mukha ngayon ng torneo at kapansin-pansin na mas marami ang mga nanood sa Hard Rock Stadium court para sa kaniyang laro.
Nasa front row ng mga manonood ang Miami Heat NBA star na si Jimmy Butler, an niyakap si Alcaraz pagkatapos ng match.
Sinabi pa ng Spaniard player, “I feel great seeing celebrities watching my matches. It’s unbelievable. I feel a little bit nervous when I see a person like Jimmy and the celebrities when I was playing in the US Open. In a certain way, I can’t believe that these people enjoy watching my matches. For me, it’s crazy.”
© Agence France-Presse
