It couldn’t be. Carlos Alcaraz lost a match point yesterday and lost 6-7(4), 7-6(7) and 6-3 after three hours and 19 minutes against American Tommy Paul, in his debut for the Montreal Masters 1000.

The second seed in the Canadian tournament surrendered to Paul after leading 4-1 in the second set and forgiving a match point at 7-6 in the tiebreak, which was his third loss in 15 games played this year on fast surface.

Montreal was left without the Masters 1000 champion in Indian Wells and Madrid and without the player who won the most titles this year (four), tied with his compatriot Rafa Nadal, absent in Canada, and the one who played the most. finals, six.

Dressed in a fluorescent red jersey and blue shorts, the world “number four” had managed to shock downhill by performing an intense and tight first set in the tie-break, 7-4, after missing a break in the third game. It looked like the toughest moment had passed, when he escaped 3-0 with an early break in the second set.

The Spaniard was leading 4-1, but was met with the reaction of a brave Paul, who came from behind and forced a playoff in which he won 9-7 to fully reopen the game.

It was a psychological blow for Alcaraz, who had a match point at 7-6 in the tie-break, before losing three points in a row. This completely changed the inertia of the match and Paul took the opportunity to continue pressing the accelerator in the decisive set, in which, after canceling two break points in the opening game, he achieved the “break which paved the way for a quick 4-1.

Alcaraz shot with pride and saved four match points with his serve to try and find a way to reopen the clash. He made it 3-5 and a break point at 30-40 that could change the history of the match, but Paul canceled it with a powerful service winner. There the Murcians’ options ended.

Meanwhile, the morning session in Montreal brought smiles to Roberto Bautista and Pablo Carreño, who advanced to the round of 16 after beating American Jenson Brooksby (7-5, 6-1) and Dane Holger Rune (6-0 , 6.-3).