The positive and negative aspects of Carlos Alcaraz's crushing victory in the first round of the Australian Open.
ATP
Carlos Alcaraz has made a positive start to his Australian Open 2025. He defeated Alexander Shevchenko 6-1, 7-5, 6-1, in a match that bordered on perfection.
This tournament is one of his main objectives, since with the title he would complete the career Grand Slam at only 21 years of age. To put it in perspective, the record for the youngest to do so is currently held by Rafael Nadal, who won it at the 2010 US Open at 24.
The Kazakh of Russian origin is an unpredictable player, capable of the best and the worst. In the United Cup, we already saw Shevchenko get beaten by Pablo Carreño. The first set was a real whirlwind, displaying his full range of strokes, forehand and backhand, volleys, drop shots and the full repertoire to which we are accustomed Alcaraz. The third set was a copy and paste of the first, beyond the result. The interesting part is in the second set.
The second set, the only moment of weakness for Carlos Alcaraz
Carlitos started like a motorcycle and it seemed that we were heading for a monumental beating. However, with 3-1 in favor, he again had those vacuums that he usually has during his matches. In 2024 we saw this on numerous occasions. Fortunately, in Grand Slam tournaments, being the best of five sets, it does not usually take its toll. The problem is in those played in three sets. It is the only aspect to improve of the current world number 3 in this match.
Shevchenko took full advantage of Alcaraz's slump, winning four games in a row. He started breaking his opponent's serve and chained with his own. With 5-3 on the scoreboard and a chance to close it with his serve at 5-4, the Spaniard resurfaced. He returned the four games in a row and closed the set with the rest. This served him to refocus and give us the third set that he gave us. In the next round awaits the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka.
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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