By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Carlos Alcaraz show will continue to air in the ongoing Australian Open after clinching a quarterfinal spot last January 22, 2024.
Entering the fourth round of the Grand Slam tournament with only a single set dropped, Alcaraz handled his business with ease against Miomir Kecmanovic- 6.4, 6.4, 6.0- to set up a highly-anticipated Australian quarterfinal clash with world no. 6 male tennis player Alexander Zverev.
Just like his third-round matchup with Shang Juncheng, Alcaraz started slow with his offensive attack and later picked it up midway through the second set.
After a defensive start for Kecmanovic that hindered Alcaraz’s plans of starting the match with fireworks, the young Spanish sensation had to force the issue for the majority of the game just to earn his points.
Alcaraz’s hard work then paid off midway through the second set as he scored a break-point that helped him gain more momentum heading into the third and final set.
It was all Alcaraz in the third as his power and overwhelming court mastery took over in the game and limited Kecmanovic without a point.
Alcaraz immediately took command after scoring two straight break points while holding all of his service possessions in the next game sets.
After the fourth-round match, Alcaraz only committed a single double-fault error and tallied three service aces.
In the receiving points department, Alcaraz dominated after registering 30 points compared to Kecmanovic’s five.
In the upcoming quarterfinals, Alcaraz will be facing a rejuvenated Zverev who got past Cameron Norrie in the fourth round and the tough Alex Michelsen in the third round.
