Carlos Alcaraz could not defeat Tommy Paul in the second round of the Canadian 1000 Masters (7-6, 6-7 and 3-6). The Spaniard, who lost a match point, found himself up against a very tough rival who turned the tide and secured a deserved victory against the tournament’s number two seed. Nail bitter defeat which eliminates with the stroke of a pen all your options to be number 1 before the U.S. Open.
Alcaraz, the second seed in the Canadian tournament, surrendered to Paul after leading 4-1 in the second set and after forgiving a match point at 7-6 in the tie-breakwhich was their third defeat in fifteen games played this year on fast surfaces.
The Miami and Madrid Masters 1000 champion bids farewell to the Canadian tournament, in which he made his debut this year, after lose a battle of three hours and 19 minutes.
The Murcian will reappear next week in Cincinnati, the last 1,000m tournament before the start of the US Open on September 29.
The Canadian tournament lost the Masters 1000 champion to Indian Wells and Madrid and the player who won the most titles this year (four), tied with his compatriot Rafael Nadalabsent in Canada, and the one who has played the most finals, six.
Alcaraz failed to get rid of the thorn in the two recently lost finals in a row, in Hamburg and Umag, against the Italians Lorenzo Musetti and Jannik Sinnerrespectively.
On his way to New York, the 19-year-old Murcian will again compete in the Cincinnati Masters 1000, which will take place next week.
Dressed in a neon red jersey and blue shorts, Alcaraz had managed to put the shock downhill, winning an intense first set and even in the tie-break, 7-4, after spoiling a break in the third game.
For the world number 4, second in the ‘race’ to the ATP Finals in Turin and still eligible for the The “new generation” of Milanof which he is the current champion, it looked like the toughest moment had passed, when he escaped 3-0 with an early break in the second set.
The Murcian led 4-1, but was met with a backlash from a brave Paul, who came from behind and forced a playoff in which 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 advantage of it 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 proudly and saved four match points on 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 ended the options of the Murcian, after a meeting of the highest athletic level. Paul sealed his victory with a 6-3 and exchanged a heartfelt hug with his rival.
Paul, a semi-finalist this year in Delray Beach, reached the round of 16 in Montreal for the first time in his career and will face either Croatian Marin Cilic or Russian Karen Khachanov, who meet on Wednesday.
On the horizon, a possible duel with Russian Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals.
Without Rafa Nadal, absent through injury, nor the Serb Novak Djokovicabsent due to his refusal to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, the first favorite to be crowned in Montreal is the Russian daniil medvedevrecent winner of the tournament in Los Cabos (Mexico).
Medvedev makes his debut in Montreal against Australian Nick Kyrgios, champion of the Washington tournament last Sunday, who is having a great moment of form.
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Tommy Paul vs Carlos Alcaraz, live Canada Masters 1000: last minute and result of the match
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