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Carlitos Alcaraz qualified for the second round of the Australian Open 2024 after a first set spent wasting the numerous chances given to him by Richard Gasquet, in their first round of the tournament. Then, the young Spaniard dominated the match, winning with a score of 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-2.
Alcaraz had played his last official match at the Nitto ATP Finals against Novak Djokovic and probably needed more time to find the right rhythm and express his best tennis. In the post-match press conference, the young Spanish player revealed how he felt physically during the match, then focusing on his 2nd round opponent in Melbourne, Lorenzo Sonego.
"I felt pretty good and I think I played at a good level. I had so many opportunities that I wasn't able to take advantage of the nine break points canceled out by Gasquet in the first set, but that's normal after two months without competing. I think today was a little more difficult because I hadn't played for a long time," said Carlitos.
"I'm still satisfied with my overall performance. I think I mentally managed the part of the match in which he canceled out so many break points. I tried not to think about it too much, but I have to improve from this point of view," he added.
Alcaraz will challenge Sonego in the 2nd round
Alcaraz's next opponent will be Lorenzo Sonego. The Italian won the only previous match held at the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati in 2021.
"I don't like being down against anyone in head-to-head matches. This gives me additional motivation. He defeated Daniel Evans, which is not easy. I will try to continue improving and do my best to beat him," explained the ATP No.2, which will play against the Italian on 18 January 2024.