Carlos
Alcaraz successfully begins the defense of his title at the
Argentina Open
after defeating local player Camilo Ugo Carabelli (No. 124) by 6-2, 6-4. The
Spanish player returned to Buenos Aires to defend his 2023 crown in his first
tournament since exiting the Australian Open in the semifinals.
His debut
was against the Argentine qualifier Carabelli (No. 134), who advanced to the
second round by defeating the Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas 7-6(5), 6-4.
The
Argentine clay witnessed an electrifying duel from the start, with Carabelli
confidently facing the world No. 2. Alcaraz only won one of his first nine
service points and conceded two consecutive breaks, but he immediately
recovered both, bringing the score to 2-2 with neither defending their service.
Alcaraz
gained confidence with his service from the fifth game onwards, asserting his
favoritism against the young Argentine. Carabelli struggled in his four service
games in the set, which ended in favor of Alcaraz at 6-2.
Both
players earned more points after the restart. The 2-times Grand Slam champion
won 48% of points with his service and 60% on the return, compared to
Carabelli's 42% and 52%, respectively.
The second
set started in favor of the Argentine, who again secured a break and, for the
first time, managed to hold his service to lead 2-0. However, the 2023 champion
reacted, defending his service and securing a crucial break in the fourth game,
after seven break points in his favor, leveling the score to 2-2.
The World No. 2 won a total of five consecutive games and took a lead of 5-2. Carabelli brought out the best of his repertoire in the last few games, saving a match point in the ninth game.
The World No. 2 secured victory by winning five consecutive games and establishing a 5-2 lead. Carabelli showcased his skills in the final moments, saving a match point in the ninth game, and then leveled the score to 5-5, creating tension in Buenos Aires with three break points. However, Alcaraz responded, closing the match before a tie-break with a new break to triumph 6-2, 7-5.
In the
quarterfinals, he will face Italian Andrea Vavassori (No. 152), who came
through qualifying and defeated the 7th seed Laslo Djere (No. 35) in straight
sets.
