By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Carlos Alcaraz was just in his element after blanking Japanese challenger Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan- 6.0, 6.1, 6.4- to advance to the third round of the ongoing Australian Open Grand Slam tournament on January 15, 2025.
Fresh off a one-sided win over Alexander Shevchenko in the first round, Alcaraz hasn’t missed a step and continued his streak of perfect games, failing to drop a single set in his first two matches at the Melbourne Park.
Unlike his last game over Shevchenko where he nearly collapsed in the second set, Alcaraz this time made sure that no scare would happen in his camp after dominating his opponent from the get-go.
An early break point kicked off Alcaraz’s flawless start in the opener, backstopped by two consecutive hold points off three service aces.
With Alcaraz’s service game on point, Shevchenko could only watch and hope that the young star from Spain commits a mistake in the long rally exchanges.
However, none of that turned into reality, as Alcaraz stepped on the gas pedal at the start of the second frame and bullied Shevchenko with his signature top-spin groundstrokes.
Aside from his baseline attacks which were piling up as the match pushed to the third, Alcaraz’s improved net game put the fans to their feet. The Spanish sensation showcased his quick off-the-bounce smash, an upcoming new weapon in his arsenal, and he did that several times that drew oohs and aahs from the crowd.
Shevchenko tried desperately to slow down Alcaraz in the third and final set but his deep slice strokes didn’t affect him. He also attempted to apply deep spins in his service possessions but the Spanish stalwart just threw a booming return ace, leaving him with no options left.
Alcaraz wrapped up the second-round victory with 14 total service aces, his highest output in the tournament so far, and capped off his performance with 89% win rate on his first serve.
