(in a witty, sarcastic tone, à la Jimmy Carr, Rowan Atkinson, Ricky Gervais, and Lee Evans)
Well, well, well, what do we have here? TheATP Masters, where the world’s top tennis players gather to… get sick, it seems. Poor old Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 3, was struggling to keep up, quite literally. He was wheezing like a chain-smoker at a marathon, and his game was suffering as a result. I mean, who needs oxygen when you’re playing tennis, right? (chuckles)
But fear not, folks, for Alcaraz has found his second wind… or should I say, his second nasal retractor? With a fetching pink proboscis clip on his nose, he took on Andrey Rublev and somehow managed to win 6-3, 7-6 (8). I suppose when you’re feeling rough, a nice long match is just what the doctor ordered. (smirking)
And what a match it was! Alcaraz was serving like a pro, hitting winners like his life depended on it (which, let’s be honest, it probably did). He even managed to composed himself during the tie-break, which, might I add, is no mean feat when you’re hacking up a lung. I’m surprised he didn’t need an oxygen tank on the side of the court.
After the match, Alcaraz confessed that he was “surprised” by his level of play. Surprised? I’m surprised he didn’t keel over mid-match! (laughs) Nah, seriously, good on him for pushing through. I mean, who needs a functioning respiratory system when you’re trying to win a tennis match?
Now, Alcaraz faces Sascha Zverev on Friday, who, by the way, has been on a tear this season. The German has won more matches than ayıHe’ll need to bring his A-game, or at least a few spare tissues, if he wants to take down Zverev. Can he do it? (shrugs) Who knows? But one thing’s for sure – it’ll be a bloody interesting match!
There you have it, folks, the drama, the excitement, the nasal strips… it’s all coming together in Turin. Stay tuned for more thrilling tennis action, and remember: if you’re feeling under the weather, just put on a pink nasal retractor and serve your way to victory! (winks)
Out of breath, Carlos Alcaraz was not far from throwing in the towel, feverish, in Turin where he had arrived with a bad cold preventing him from giving the full extent of his talent in this ATP Masters which definitely still leads the hard life for the Spaniards (as a reminder, Rafael Nadal never won there). Too quickly pushed to the fault and beaten (6-1, 7-5) by Casper Ruud, Monday, the Murcian had sowed doubt in the clan of his supporters, Tuesday, by cutting short his training, after only a short quarter of hour. But he was there, this Wednesday afternoon, to face Andrey Rublev, 8th player in the world.
A promising second wind
With a pink nasal retractor on his nose, it is not wrong to write that the world No. 3 found a second wind, during this duel against the Russian, and in this famous “masters” race where he is relaunched following this first reassuring success, with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (8). For almost 1h35, we saw this hard-hitting Alcaraz serving again, inspired in his strikes, or well-felt cushioning, even if he still had to dismiss two balls leading to a third set in the tie-break.
With his fists clenched and the predator smiling again, we could imagine the relief of a player who surprised himself during this encounter, close to all or nothing. “I surprised myself with my level of play, especially from the baseline. I remained calm and focused, I wanted to forget that I was sick,” explained the Spaniard, winner this year at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. “When I returned to the court, I wanted to show the public a different type of tennis than that of Monday. I think I succeeded,” he added.
The Spaniard admitted that he was still disturbed by his bad cold: “I wasn’t great, just OK, but I tried to ignore all that.”
Friday against Zverev who only needs one set
He now has a day of rest and treatment before facing, this Friday, the player who has won the most matches this season, the German Sascha Zverev. The German is still undefeated in this ATP Masters. After his success against Rublev on Monday, the guy from Hamburg emerged victorious from a very close duel against Casper Ruud this Wednesday evening: 7-6 (3), 6-3.
No verdict has yet been reached in Turin, even though Zverev is only one set away from qualifying for the semi-finals. But he will have to validate that, Friday, against… Alcaraz: a duel between the world No. 2 and No. 3 which will be worth the trip provided, obviously, that Carlos Alcaraz continues his healing course.
