ATP Rio de Janeiro: Alcaraz is back - and back on course Berrettini
Carlos Alcaraz is only contesting his second tournament of the year at the ATP Tour 500 event in Rio de Janeiro. In the quarterfinals there could be a hit with Matteo Berrettini .
by tennisnet.com
last edit:
Feb 14, 2022, 03:16 pm
28 grids are usually reserved for the ATP Tour 250 events, but well, if the organizers of the 500 in Rio only have 28 slots to allocate, then four men can look forward to a bye in round one. In addition to Casper Ruud, Diego Schwartzman and Pablo Carreno Busta, this also affects tournament favorite Matteo Berrettini. The visit of the Italian number one in Rio is a small surprise, Berrettini prefers the hard courts. There will be an opportunity to do so next week when they open in Acapulco.
On the other hand, none of Berrettini's potential opponents will make the mistake of underestimating him. Matteo can also dig, was in the final of Madrid last year, where he then lost to Alexander Zverev. In addition, Berrettini made a big showing in Australia by reaching the semifinals at the first major of the year.
Berrettini beats Alcaraz in Melbourne
The anticipation that there could be a reunion with Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals is all the greater. Berrettini managed to win against him in Melbourne at the last minute, last fall in Vienna the Spanish teenager had the better end for himself. Both matches were characterized by immense entertainment value - the playing styles of Alcaraz and Berrettini complement each other splendidly.
However, Alcaraz has to get in a lap earlier and has to deal with compatriot Jaume Munar in lap one. In contrast to other youngsters (such as Holger Rune), Alcaraz is currently running a somewhat more reserved game plan, weekly appearances like the Danes are not his thing.
German-speaking fixed starters will be missing in 2022 after Dominic Thiem's cancellation in the Brazilian Olympic city of 2016. And no one came through the qualification either: Yannik Hanfmann lost the up-and-coming young Argentinian Sebastian Baez very narrowly 6: 2, 6: 7 (2) and 6:7(2).