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World no. 2 and the newly-promoted top-10 star Alex de Minaur embraced a charity match at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday. The home star prevailed 6-4, 5-7, 10-3, gathering more boost to his Australian Open chances and giving the crowd something to cheer about.
Alex led 6-4, 4-1 before Carlos launched his comeback, forcing a match tie break but taking only three points. The Spaniard claimed wins in their two official matches, and he made a better start today, earning two break chances after the Aussie's forehand error.
De Minaur hit a double fault on the first, experiencing an early setback and sending Alcaraz 1-0 in front. Carlos squandered game points in game two and lost serve after a loose drop shot, bringing Alex back to 1-1. The 20-year-old passed his rival at the net in the fourth game, closing it with a backhand winner and locking the result at 2-2.
Alex won the battle of backhands in the fifth game, moving 3-2 in front and extending the next one before Carlos brought it home with a forced error for 3-3 after half an hour.
Alex de Minaur took down Carlos Alcaraz at Rod Laver Arena.
De Minaur clinched the seventh game at love with a backhand winner, and Alcaraz responded with a fine hold in the next one, remaining on the positive side.
The home favorite secured the ninth game with a forehand down the line winner and forced Carlos' mistake at 5-4 for three set points. Alcaraz sprayed a forehand error on the second, handing the opener to his rival after 45 minutes.
The Aussie denied a break point at the beginning of the second set and held after the Spaniard's loose backhand. Alex covered the court nicely in the second game and landed a running short forehand crosscourt winner for a break chance.
World no. 2 netted a backhand, falling a set and a break down and losing four straight games. Alcaraz placed a backhand wide in the third game, extending his downfall before facing another break point in the next one after a wayward forehand.
The 20-year-old saved and canceled another before closing the game and reducing the deficit. Carlos grabbed the sixth game with a forehand down the line winner and pulled the break back in the next one after Alex's loose backhand.
World no. 2 held at 15 in game eight, taking three straight games and leveling the score at 4-4. The Spaniard blasted a backhand down the line winner in game nine, creating two break points and wasting them. De Minaur held for 5-4, forcing Alcaraz to serve to stay in the match.
Carlos missed a forehand in the tenth game, offering his rival a match point. The young gun denied it and painted a forehand down the line winner for 5-5 and more drama. De Minaur played a loose service game, getting broken and falling 6-5 behind.
Carlos held after deuce, forcing the match tie break after an hour and 51 minutes. Alex made a fresh start and claimed it 10-3, passing Carlos at the net in the last point and celebrating the win.