Carlos Alcaraz trailed Emil Ruusuvuori by a set and was down multiple break points at 2-3 in the second but came back to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 during second-round action at the Mutua Madrid Open on Friday. Alcaraz saved one of five break points in the sixth game of the second with a backhand drop volley after it looked like a Ruusuvuori backhand return would be enough to give the Finn a 4-2 lead.
From there the 19-year-old Spaniard was off to the races, and he prevailed in two hours and 17 minutes.
“It was really tough,” Alcaraz assured. “I would say I was about to lose. It was just one point. One of the break points he had at 2-3 in the second set was like a match point for him. I was really happy I was able to save that game and come back a bit. It was really tough. Emil played unbelievably, but I am really, really happy to get through that.”
Another three-setter saw Holger Rune hold off Alexander Bublik 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(9). Bublik saved four match points in the third-set tiebreaker and had one of his own at 8-7, but the Kazakh eventually double-faulted at 9-9 and Rune finished it off with an ace.
“Honestly I’m out of words right now,” the 19-year-old Dane said. “It was such a tough match. In these kind of conditions, it’s altitude, it’s very fast compared to what I’ve played so far.
“Bublik, we all know how he’s playing. He’s playing super aggressive, taking the ball aggressive and early. So I had to really dig deep and find solutions. I was brave at the end and that’s what made the difference.”
Rune faces Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the round of 32, while Alcaraz awaits Grigor Dimitrov.
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nice one, Carlos