Carlos Alcaraz couldn’t handle the pressure of the match and of being the number 2 seed in a Masters 1000 tournament. He himself confirmed it in the press conference after his debut in the Canadian competition. In Montreal, the first surprise was undoubtedly the departure of the Spaniard, defeated by the solid American Tommy Paul with a score of 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, who did not give up even when he finished with a set.
and a break against. The world number 4 appeared at the press conference and said: “I always say that the first matches are never easy. Changing surfaces is certainly not easy, but I think that Paul has played a very good challenge and deserved the victory.
The only thing I can say is that I have to learn the lessons from this match”, he commented. He then underlined:” I couldn’t show my best level here. In the early rounds, like this one, you have to fight your opponents and yourself.
It was not easy to deal with those moments when I was not playing at my best level. It was a battle against myself.” Alcaraz had a chance in the second set, when he was ahead 4-1 and seemed to be in control: “I had my chances, like at the beginning of the second set or at that match point in the second set.
break, but I made a lot of mistakes. He played very well in those difficult moments and served me well throughout the match. I think everything has been a mix, I have not done a good performance and he has played very well”, he explained.
“Right now I’m angry. I also had my chances to break him at the beginning of the third set. I was dominating those points but I made bad decisions. That frustrated me. It’s true that at the end of the match it was the stage where I played the best.
I’m angry that I couldn’t get my tennis out for the rest of the match”, he continued before the media. To finish, the incredible revelation:” For the first time I couldn’t take the pressure.”
Tommy Paul praises Carlos Alcaraz
A few hours after admitting that he had played the best tennis of his life in sequence after his victory over Carlos Alcaraz, this Wednesday in the second round of the Masters 1000 in Montreal, Tommy Paul, who is now qualified for the quarter-finals, returned to the indecent speed of movement of the young Spaniard.
“Yes, it was definitely a very entertaining game. There was no real drop in level in the whole match, it was just a lot of fun to be on the court. Carlos Alcaraz is a super nice lad, a great sportsman, win or lose, so I think we just enjoyed being on the pitch.
He was so fast on the court… I can’t believe he was so fast. I knew he was, but he hit balls that no one else on the circuit is hitting.”
