Carlos Alcaraz made an emphatic start in his pursuit of a first Australian Open crown as he thrashed Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko 6-1, 7-5, 6-1 in the first round on Monday, MySportDab Reports.
Playing his first match of the season, the world No. 3 did not look one bit rusty as he stormed through the first set in a little over 30 minutes. The 77th-ranked Shevchenko put up a better fight in the second set, breaking Alcaraz to serve for it at 5-4. But the Spaniard responded emphatically, breaking back before sealing the set and cruising through the third to wrap up victory in one hour and 54 minutes.
Alcaraz goes for the Career Slam to be the youngest player in history; he plays Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic made his way into the second round after recovering from a stuttering start to see off 19-year-old American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. The Serbian looked all out of sorts early on and Basavareddy made him pay to take the opening set in front of a gobsmacked Melbourne Park crowd.
With new coach Andy Murray watching from one of the tournament’s “coaching pods,” Djokovic broke through in the second set, taking an important break to even the match. The teenager needed to have his left leg treated and did not win another game after that, with Djokovic seizing control to take his place in the quarterfinals.
The seven-time Australian Open champion acknowledged his opponent’s performance. “He was the better player for a set and a half,” Djokovic admitted. “These matchups are always tricky when you face someone with nothing to lose.”
The Serbian, in search of his 25th Grand Slam title and a record-extending 11th Australian Open crown, will next play Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria in the second round. Victory in Melbourne would also be his 100th career title, making him only the third man in the Open Era to reach the milestone after Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).
As sure as Djokovic still seems about being able to compete at the best level, the early struggles against a player ranked 107 suggests he still has much work ahead if he is to fend off some of these youthful challengers such as Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
