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The performance against Andrea Vavassori in the round of 16 of the Rotterdam ATP 500 revived Carlos Alcaraz's ambitions, after the Spanish ace had too many ups and downs in his first match against Botic van de Zandschulp on Tuesday.
The former world number 1 wants to win his first title of 2025 in the Netherlands, in indoor conditions, where his game is more vulnerable due to several reasons. The 21-year-old from Murcia has to raise his level to be able to get to the bottom of this tournament and he had the right sensations yesterday, showing that he is on the right track.
The 29-year-old Italian is a doubles specialist and doesn't have much experience in singles, but his unique style can put opponents who are not used to certain solutions in difficulty. The 4-time Grand Slam champion was focused from start to finish and finally avoided those ups and downs that characterize most of his matches.
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Carlitos' path in Rotterdam should have been very tough, but instead it is becoming smoother than expected.
The Spaniard was supposed to face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the round of 16, but the Canadian had to retire. Holger Rune was supposed to be his rival in the quarterfinals, before the young Dane lost to Pedro Martinez also due to fever.
A nightmare for Italian players
Meanwhile, the current world number 3 with the victory over Vavassori yesterday has updated his brilliant statistics against Italian players.
From the 2021 season until today,Carlitos has faced Italian opponents 27 times obtaining 20 victories. His only defeats were those against Jannik Sinner, Lorenzo Musetti, Lorenzo Sonego and Matteo Berrettini.
Last year, Alcaraz defeated his great rival Sinner three times in as many official clashes. The current world number 1 took a small revenge in the final of the 'Six Kings Slam', the prestigious exhibition tournament played in Saudi Arabia last October, but that match is not part of the official statistics.
