Carlos Alcaraz got off to a slow start but quickly woke up and powered past Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 in the second round of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Wednesday afternoon. Despite requiring three sets, Alcaraz advanced in just one hour and 38 minutes.
It was a much-needed result for the third-ranked Spaniard, who was coming off disappointments in Indian Wells (lost to Jack Draper in the semifinals) and Miami (lost to David Goffin in round two).
“I didn’t start well,” Alcaraz assured. “I made a lot of mistakes and I let him play inside the court, dominating the points. I just knew that I had to do something else, play more aggressively, and play my own tennis–drop-shots, going to the net, and more aggression. The most important change was the return, I tried to return closer to the line and push him.”
Alcaraz is joined in the last 16 by Andrey Rublev, who defeated Gael Monfils 6-4, 7-6(2). Monfils served for the second set and had double-set point on his own serve, but he double-faulted at 40-15 and it was downhill from there. The Frenchman eventually squandered a total of four set points and was pushed to a tiebreaker. From 2-2, Rublev won the last five points of the match to clinch victory in convincing style.
It was the ninth-ranked Russian’s first match with coach Marat Safin on his team.
Next up for Rublev is Arthur Fils, who cruised past Bucharest champion Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 6-4.
nice once, Carlos