World no. 3 Carlos Alcaraz had no room for errors against Tallon Griekspoor in the Davis Cup Finals quarter-final in Malaga! The four-time Major winner scored a 7-6, 6-3 victory in an hour and 25 minutes to keep his country alive following Rafael Nadal's loss.
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Rafa stepped on the court in the first rubber and experienced a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp. That put the home herounder pressure, and the young gun overcame it in style. Carlos trailed 4-2 in the opening set before erasing the deficit and storming over his opponent in the tie break to claim it 7-0.
The Spaniard sailed through his service games in the second set and delivered an early break that propelled him over the top. World no. 3should return to the court for the second time after a suitable rest, chasing the semi-final berth for Spain alongside Marcel Granollers.
Carlosproduced brutal numbers behind the first serve, dropping only one point! He kept the second serve safe and experienced a single break from as many chances offered to his opponent. Griekspoor struggled behind the second serve, playing against five break points and getting broken two times.
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This is a notable win for Alcaraz in terms of confidence, suffering early losses at the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals and extending his indoor struggle. The court in Malaga is slower, which, in my opinion, gave him a good balance between a fine defense and the attacking skills.
Alcaraz shines in the opening set tie break
Griekspoor held in the first game of the match after four deuces, avoiding break points. An ace came to the rescue for Tallon in the third game, saving a break point and remaining on the positive side. Alcaraz faced issues in the sixth game, netting a forehand and experiencing a break at love.
World no. 3 pulled it at 15 in the next one with a fine attack, returning to the positive side and drawing positive vibes from the stands. The Dutchman faced a break point in the ninth game and erased it with a powerful serve. They served well in the upcoming games, reaching a tie break.
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The Spaniard played flawless tennis when it mattered the most. He deliveredtwo service winners at 5-0 for a perfect breaker, wrapping up the opener in 51 minutes and gaining a boost.
Carlos controls the pace in set number two
The home favorite lost one point behind the initial shot in the second set, challenging his opponent to follow that pace. Alcaraz defended superbly in the second game, drawing Griekspoor's volley error and moving a set and a break in front. Carlos landed an ace in the third game, cementing the break and opening a 3-0 gap.
The Spaniard served well in the remaining games, focusing on his initial shot and holding at love in game seven for 5-2. Alcaraz served for the win at 5-3 and produced a hold at love after the rival's backhand error, keeping Spain in the competition.
