Carlos Alcaraz defeated Alex Michaelsen to start his Japan Open title defense on a winning note. The Spaniard registered a 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-1 to cement his second-round spot at the hard-court ATP 500.
The youngster had to dig deep as he lost the second set but bounced back strongly against the American. Alcaraz’s serve was broken five times by the US Open quarterfinalist but the seven-time Slam champion raised his level when he needed to in crucial moments of the match.
In the opening set, Alcaraz was down 2-4 but was able to come back into the contest. The American won the second set but Alcaraz was dominant in the deciding set, racing to a 5-0 lead.
“I was unable to practise outside [because of the rain] until the warmup this morning and I hadn’t played any points outdoors for a long time, so it was quite different,” Alcaraz, who last weekend spearheaded Team Europe’s Laver Cup triumph on indoor courts in London, said. “It was a different feeling. I think the ball comes bigger. I think the court performs a little bit slower than the indoor courts for sure, so it was kind of freaky to adjust myself to that, to adjust my game.
“It was a little bit frustrating, not being able to play my game, my style, and play aggressive… It was quite difficult but I’m just really happy to accept and understand how I had to play, and to get the win at the end. It was really important to have this feeling for the next round, to know what I have to do for the next matches.”
Alcaraz improved to 6-0 at Tokyo’s Ariake Coliseum after his first win against Michelsen on the tour. The Spaniard will next take on Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in the second round of the Japan Open.
