BUENOS AIRES – Carlos Alcaraz reached the quarter-finals of the Buenos Aires ATP tournament on Feb 15, defeating a player who once worked as an entertainment park pirate.
World No. 2 and defending champion Alcaraz beat 134th-ranked Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-2, 7-5 in his first match since a shock quarter-final exit at the Australian Open.
Carabelli, who lives just a few blocks away from the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, came through qualifying to reach the main draw of the clay-court event.
The 24-year-old was a late convert to tennis after spending his teenage summers playing the role of a pirate for his grandfather’s tourist company in Brazil.
After Alcaraz swept through the opening set, the Argentine outsider steadied the ship, carving out a break of serve for an early lead in the second.
Spanish star Alcaraz retrieved the break immediately and served for the match at 5-3.
However, Carabelli broke back, saved a match point and then another to level the set at 5-5.
Alcaraz held for 6-5 before his opponent finally cracked in the 12th game of a nervy tie which featured a total of 11 service breaks.
“It was a really tough match. He’s a really good fighter, a really good player with good rhythm. He was really tough to beat,” said Alcaraz, 20.
“I started really nervous, I’m not going to lie, with the crowd behind him, supporting him.
“I think it’s normal, obviously, but really happy with my first match on clay since the French Open.”
Two-time Grand Slam title winner Alcaraz will face another qualifier, Italy’s 152nd-ranked Andrea Vavassori for a spot in the semi-finals. The match took place after press time.
Second-seed Cameron Norrie, who was the runner-up to Alcaraz at the tournament in 2023, was knocked out by Argentina’s Federico Coria 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
At the Rotterdam Open, Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner overcame a stubborn fightback by veteran Frenchman Gael Monfils on Feb 15 to battle into the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win, as other seeds crashed out on a day of upsets.
“I was struggling a bit, I didn’t have so much rhythm,” said Sinner.
“But in these kinds of matches you learn a lot. It gives me confidence for the next one.”
The Italian faced Canada’s Milos Raonic in the quarter-finals in a match that began after press time.
Earlier in the day, rising star Holger Rune suffered a shock 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 defeat by Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko and local hero Tallon Griekspoor beat fourth-seed Hubert Hurkacz in a 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-4) thriller with the help of raucous crowd support.
Both winners said the victories were their biggest.
On the women’s circuit, Naomi Osaka’s hopes of clinching the Qatar Open ended in a straight-sets quarter-final loss to fellow former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova.
Four-time Grand Slam title winner Osaka, who is rebuilding her career after maternity leave, went down 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5) after saving three match points. AFP
