“I think I’m ready,” Injury free Carlos Alcaraz prepared to battle for titles
Carlos Alcaraz cruises past Thanasi Kokkinakis into the third round after defeating him in straight sets.
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Carlos Alcaraz
World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz triumphantly returned to the court after almost two weeks of recuperating from a right hamstring injury, winning his match against Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-3 in the Indian Wells Masters tournament to advance to the third round. Alcaraz started strong, losing only one point while serving in the first set and breaking Kokkinakis in his initial return game to quickly seize a 3-0 advantage.
Although the second set was more closely contested, with Kokkinakis employing a power game that often matched Alcaraz, the latter’s superior speed, defense, and consistency proved too formidable, resulting in another early break and a well-earned victory.
Speaking after the match, Alcaraz said, “I recovered very well, I feel like I’m moving around without any problems. I felt very comfortable playing, with more movement, so I think I’m ready and fully recovered from my injury. What I do best is put pressure on my opponent.”
He continued speaking and said, “From the baseline, for example, I push my opponent to the limit, trying to go after each shot. It’s the most dangerous part of my game. I move well, I’m fast and I reach every ball, or at least I try to do so”
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Carlos Alcaraz eyes on world No.1 and Indian Wells Open title
If the Spaniard wins the Indian Wells title, he could reclaim the top spot in the ATP Rankings on March 20th. This would mark his third ATP Masters 1000 title following his victories in Madrid and Miami last year.
After being defeated and outplayed by Cameron Norrie in the Rio final and subsequently forfeiting in Acapulco due to a thigh issue, Carlos Alcaraz regained confidence before entering the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells.
With the absence of Novak Djokovic, this will be a golden opportunity for the 19-year-old to reclaim the top spot. Winning the ongoing Indian Wells Open will give him 1000 ATP points which will push him past the Serbian. However, he will still have to face a lot of potential young players who are playing good tennis. Daniil Medvedev is one such player in very good form currently who can challenge Alcaraz.
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Santhosh Tenneti
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