The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz began this Monday the defense of the Wimbledon title, the third ‘Grand Slam’ of the season that is played on the grass surface, with a quick victory (7-6(3), 7-5, 6-1) against the Estonian Mark Lajal, number 269 in the world, in two hours and 24 minutes of the match.
Alcaraz started the Wimbledon tournament with a solid victory against Lajal, a debutant in a ‘big’, who put the Spaniard in some trouble in the first two sets, but who ended up giving up in the third set. The Murcian, from less to more in the match, knew how to overcome breaks of serve at the beginning of the first and second set, to end up turning both, while in the third he reached his best level of tennis to give him no option.
Improving the number of unforced errors – 28 against the Estonian – and fine-tuning the serve – four direct serves, four double faults and 65 percent of firsts – should be the objective for the Spaniard in the face of more demanding commitments . What did work in Alcaraz’s game were the winners, 44 in total, an indication that his confidence in his game remains full despite the defeat at Queen’s against the British Jack Draper.
The start of the match was not easy for the Spanish tennis player. His lack of activity on grass – only one match this season – and having to face an opponent from the qualifiers played against Alcaraz. A fact that caused the Spaniard not to feel comfortable with his first serves, suffering more than expected, and even losing it in the fifth game of the set.
It was there, at 2-3 down, that the Spaniard clicked into place, recovering the break to love in the next game. A reaction that would serve the Spaniard to reach the tie-break. Sudden death Alcaraz started with a mini-break against him, but in which he gave the Estonian no chance, and he ended up winning 7-3, taking the first set in 55 minutes.
The second set started with a similar situation to the first, although this time the Estonian broke in Alcaraz’s first service game. However, as in the first set, the Murcian returned the score to equality with two consecutive games to love.
Two breaks at the first exchange rate that would be the only ones of the set until the ninth game when, with the score at 5-5, Alcaraz dealt the final blow to the set, breaking Lajal’s serve with five consecutive points and, subsequently, not failing to hold his serve at love to go two sets up in the match.
Alcaraz’s performance was much better in the third and final set. The Murcian did manage to take the lead after the first game, in which he broke the Estonian’s serve on his second opportunity. A break that he confirmed without difficulty in the next game, and which would not be the last of the set, since in the fifth game of the set he broke him again, to finally close the match with a 6-2.
A victory that puts Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of the tournament for the fourth consecutive edition of Wimbledon, where he will face this Wednesday the winner of the match between the Australian Aleksandar Vukic and the Austrian Sebastian Ofner.