By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday January 22, 2024
Carlos Alcaraz powered past Miomir Kecmanovic to set a quarterfinal with Alexander Zverev.
Photo Source: Getty
Miomir Kecmanovic entered Monday night’s tussle with Carlos Alcaraz having saved two match points to win on two different occasions, but the hard-working Serbian didn’t have much energy – or magic – left in the tank against the surging Spaniard, who treated him rudely as he raced to a 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 victory in one hour and 49 minutes.
Alcaraz’s victory rounds out the quarterfinals on the men’s side – the No.2-seeded Spaniard will face Alexander Zverev next on a hot ticket that features all Top-10 seeds.
“I think everything [worked] tonight,” Alcaraz said on court after the match. “In Miami in 2022 it was a really close match, a high level from both of us. I think today it was a pretty good match as well, but I pushed him to the limit with every ball, in every point.
“Obviously he has played a lot of matches in five sets, a lot of tough matches before this one, so probably physically he wasn’t at 100 percent. Every ball I pushed him to the limit, moved him side to side.”
Alcaraz was like a shark who sees blood in the water on Monday in Rod Laver Arena, relentlessly attacking Kecmanovic behind 43 winners and five of nine break points converted. He never faced a break point and pulled away in the final set to improve to 2-0 lifetime against Kecmanovic and 45-9 lifetime at the majors
It was a breathtaking display from a 20-year-old who has made such performances a habit
Alcaraz became the fourth youngest player to reach the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slams, as he booked his first trip to the last eight at the Australian Open.
Alcaraz owns a 3-4 lifetime record against Zverev and lost the pair’s last meeting at the 2023 ATP Finals. The rivals have split their two Grand Slam matches, with Zverev defeating Alcaraz at Roland-Garros in 2022 and Alcaraz returning the favor at last year’s US Open.
Zverev has also spent a lot of time on court, playing two five-setters that took him over the four-hour mark.
More to follow…