Carlos Alcaraz Reaches Tokyo Quarterfinals After Saving Four Set Points
Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 tournament in Tokyo on Saturday by defeating Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, lefigaro.fr reported. The third-seeded Spaniard secured the straight-sets victory after erasing four set points during a tense opening tie-break. The match featured two distinctly different sets, according to lequipe.fr. Alcaraz broke his opponent’s serve immediately to start the encounter, but surrendered that advantage when Arnaldi leveled the score at 2-1. Trailing 6-2 in the first-set tie-break, Alcaraz relied on increased aggression and fortune to overturn the deficit, capturing the opening frame in one hour and thirteen minutes, lefigaro.fr noted. The momentum shifted entirely after that point. The Spaniard dominated the second set, racing to a 5-0 lead before sealing the match with a smash thirty minutes later.
Adaptation Struggles on the Tokyo Hard Courts
The Tokyo tournament marks Alcaraz’s third appearance on tour following his recovery from a right wrist injury sustained between April and late August, lefigaro.fr reported. He returned to competition at the US Open, exiting in the quarterfinals.
During his opening match against American Brandon Michelsen, Alcaraz struggled to adapt to the open-air central court in Tokyo, describing the surface as slightly slower than the indoor court at London’s O2 Arena where he competed in the Laver Cup from September 25 to 27.
Upcoming Quarterfinal Match Against Denis Shapovalov
For a place in the semifinals, Alcaraz will face Canadian Denis Shapovalov on Saturday. Shapovalov advanced to the last eight by overcoming Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in a three-set battle, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, lefigaro.fr and lequipe.fr reported.