Carlos Alcaraz beat his compatriot Albert Ramos Vinolas 6-4 6-1 in an all-Spanish match to reach the third round at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. Alcaraz converted four of his twelve break points.
Alcaraz has returned to world number 1 spot in the ATP Ranking.
Ramos Vinolas earned an early break in in the first game of the opening set and saved three break points to hold for 2-0. Alcaraz broke back in the fourth game after a loose backhand from Ramos Vinolas and held serve to 15 in the next game. Ramos Vinolas hit a service winner to draw level to 3-3. Alcaraz earned a second break with a backhand crosscourt winner in the ninth game at 5-4 and hit a drop-shot to earn a set point. The young Spaniard sealed the first set 6-4 after 52 minutes when Ramos Vinolas hit a forehand long.
Alcaraz held serve at 15 in the first game of the second set after a long rally before earning a break in the second game. Ramos Vinolas saved three break points in the fourth game.
Akcaraz opened up a 4-1 lead with a service game and earned his second break with a forehand down the line earning a chance to serve for the match. The 2022 US Open champion held serve in the seventh game with a forehand crosscourt winner to secure his spot in the third round.
Alcaraz is chasing his third consecutive ATP Tour title on clay following his triumphs in Barcelona and Madrid.
“It was not easy. The first round of every tournament is really tough and of course Albert Ramos, especially on clay, is a relly tough opponent. I really had to adapt my game really quickly to be able to get through. The conditions were not easy at all, the rain, the waiting all day. I did not know if I was going to play or not. I am really happy with my performance at the end and I am really happy to be able to play in the next round”, said Alcaraz.
Andrey Rublev moved past Alex Molcan 6-3 6-4. Molcan saved two of the three break points in the first set. Rublev broke serve once in each set.
Rublev had beaten Molcan in their only previous match in the semifinals in Banja Luka last April. Rublev will face a third round against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who
Shortly after this match, the remaining matches were delayed by rain.
Bernabe Zapata Miralles cruised past Jason Kubler 6-4 6-1. Kubler broke twice in the first set to open up a 3-0 lead, but Zapata Miralles won five of the next six games. The Spaniard saved two break points in the 11thgame before breaking Kubler for the third time to close out the first set 6-2. The Spanish player broke twice, but Kubler saved five match points. Zapata Miralles served out the win at deuce in the seventh game.
JJ Wolf upset Hubert Hurkacz 6-3 6-4 in just 77 minutes. Wolff broke serve in the ninth game before before serving out the set. Wolf earned a break in the second game of the second set and served out the match at love to set up a third round match against either Alexander Zverev or David Goffin.
Lorenzo Sonego beat Yoshihito Nishioka 7-5 6-3 in 1 hour and 46 minutes. Sonego broke serve in the third game, but Nishioka broke back in the fifth game. Nishioka saved a set point.
Nishioka saved two set points in the 12th game. Sonego earned another set point with two forehands. Sonego sealed the win on his third set point.
Sonego saved two set points in the in the first and fifth games before breaking serve in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Sonego served out the win at love in the next game.
Borna Coric battled past Thiago Monteiro 4-6 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-5) After losing the first set Coric had to save a match point in the tie-break of the second set before winning the third set in the third set.
Sonego will face the winner of the match between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nuno Borges. Tsitsipas was leading 6-3 4-3 when the match was suspended by rain. Tsitsipas did not face any break point. Tsitsipas leads by a break in the second set.
