Carlos Alcaraz survived a scare in his opening Davis Cup match against Tomas Machac after the Spaniard’s shock second round US Open defeat.
A post-Olympics slump looks to have disrupted Carlos Alcaraz’s smooth summer, with the 20-year-old suffering early exits at both the Cincinnati and US Open.
Back in Spain for the Davis Cup, Alcaraz and opponent Tomas Machac were locked at a set a piece, when the Czech was forced to retire due to cramps.
The first set saw an uncharacteristic lack of clinical edge from Alcaraz, with several break point opportunities squandered.
Having been unable to match the form shown at the French Open and Wimbledon, Alcaraz managed to dig a way back into the tie and with Machac feeling well below his best, the 23-year-old called it a day.
Spain’s other singles player Roberto Bautista Agut won his singles match against Jiri Lehecka in straight sets to put his side in charge in Group B.
Carlos Alcaraz thanks Spanish crowd after his Davis Cup win
After a thrilling point Alcaraz won with a deft drop volley at full stretch, a buoyed Valencia crowd willed their champion on.
With Alcaraz having made some adjustments throughout the match, a storming 6-1 second set victory swung the tie back his way.
After the match, he was quick to highlight his joy at playing in front of a home crowd: “I’m not used to playing here in Spain, but every time I do is a great feeling,” he said.
“Great points, great rallies, the people in the crowd were behind me. They were cheering me on always, and I’m really grateful for that.”
With the win secured for Spain, there were expectations for Alcaraz to be rested, however to the delight of the crowd, he partnered Marcel Granollers on court for the doubles tie.
It was far from straightforward, but Spain eventually secured a comeback win over teenager Jakub Mensik and Adam Pavlásek 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-6(2), to clinch a 3-0 victory.
Carlos Alcaraz needs some confidence and the Davis Cup is the perfect place for it
After a furious Alcaraz smashed his racket during his Cincinnati defeat to Gael Monfils, it totally clashed with the grin that had carried him through a glorious summer.
Condemned to an early straight sets defeat in New York, Alcaraz and other Olympic finalist Novak Djokovic looked totally out of sorts.
A stint playing in front of a home crowd feels the perfect solution to remedy this recent Alcaraz blip.
Despite some magnificent shot-making in both his singles and doubles ties, Alcaraz still doesn’t look completely comfortable.
However, with the 20-year-old always playing his best when he’s enjoying himself, having a bouncing crowd getting behind you in your home country is bound to bring that smile back.
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