Madrid (Spain) – After win a very tough game in the round of 16 of the final of the Masters 1000 in Madrid, Carlos Alcaraz made a point of valuing the unconditional support he received from the fans in this Tuesday’s match against German Jan-Lennard Struff. The two-time tournament champion says that the atmosphere on the Manolo Sanatana court was essential for him to seek victory in three sets.
“I have to thank the people here for supporting me until the last point,” said Alcaraz after his 6/3, 6/7 (5-7), 7/6 (7-4) victory over Struff. The Spaniard recalled the four match-points lost when he led the last set 5/3 and had the chance to close out the game. Despite the German’s reaction, the energy of the crowd helped him deal with the situation.
“The fans were by my side in those difficult moments I had at the end of the third set. I think they pushed me to not give up and keep fighting. It’s incredible to have this crowd with me”, added the current number 3 in the world.
The match with Struff was a repeat of last year’s final, also decided in three sets. “This game reminded me of last year. It demanded a lot of me from the first to the last point. It was difficult for me to deal with my emotions, especially after losing match points serving for the game. But I’m very happy that in the end it didn’t affect my game or my mentality. I continued fighting until I achieved victory.”
Duel with Rublev in the quarterfinals
Alcaraz will return to action this Wednesday at 11am (Brasília time) against Russian Andrey Rublev, number 8 in the world. The Spaniard won the only previous duel, played at last year’s ATP Finals. “Rublev is a great player and a very aggressive tennis player. I’ve seen him play a lot, I’ve trained with him a lot. I know his level and how to face him, but it will be a very complicated match. I have to take advantage of the opportunities that arise, because he will certainly give me few.”
