Carlos Alcaraz left doubts in his first round of the ABN AMRO Open Rotterdam. The Spaniard showed signs of weakness, both in his game and physically against Botic van de Zandschulp, the player who eliminated him in the last US Open. We knew that he was coming to the tournament with health problems. Finally, he got his way and has shown considerably better in his second match.
He mercilessly crushed Andrea Vavassori 6-2, 6-1. Let's remember that the Italian is a superstar in doubles, but has no great results in singles. In addition, his aggressive game suits the Murcian perfectly. If we add to that the power deficit, it was a real walk in the park for Carlitos on Rotterdam's Centre Court.
Neither of the two sets had much history. Alcaraz even allowed himself to focus more on his serve, employing the new technique he has been training during the preseason. He did quite well, as he lost few points in his service games. As if that wasn't enough, he was also very good in the return game, playing repeatedly to his opponent's feet.
Vavasssori is a tennis player with a tremendously powerful serve and tends to go to the net frequently. The world number 3 did not spare and passed him in every possible way. With forehand passings, backhand passings, lobs, also advancing to the volley and winning drop shots. Carlos Alcaraz at his best. He still has a plaster on his nose to help him breathe better, but he seems to have recovered from the flu with which he arrived in the Netherlands.
In the quarterfinals he will face the winner of the last match of the day. It will be between his generation mate Holger Rune, whom he has known well since they were young and with whom he played when they were just 13 years old. And his compatriot Pedro Martinez, with whom he has shared team in last year's Davis Cup.
THERE'S ONLY ONE CARLOS ALCARAZ! 🧙♂️@abnamroopen | #abnamroopen | @carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.com/jdZFtuh0W4
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 6, 2025
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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