Alcaraz reaches 160 wins

Argentina World number two Carlos Alcaraz reached the quarter-finals of the Argentina Open after defeating Camilo Ugo Carabeli 6-2, 7-5 on February 15.

Alcaraz's 10th straight win over an Argentine opponent. The Spaniard has 160 wins in 204 ATP matches. He will strengthen his chances of defending his title in Buenos Aires when he meets qualifier Andrea Vavassori in the quarter-finals.

Alcaraz saves the ball during the match against Ugo Carabeli on February 15 at Guillermo Vilas Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo: ATP — Alcaraz saves the ball during the match against Ugo Carabeli on February 15 at Guillermo Vilas Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo: *ATP*

6,000 spectators packed Guillermo Vilas Stadium to watch Alcaraz showcase his talent. Although he had not reached his peak form since the Australian Open, the 20-year-old star still delivered many beautiful shots before winning after more than an hour of play.

Alcaraz's biggest rival at the ATP 250 tournament, Cameron Norrie, unexpectedly lost to home player Federico Coria 2-6, 6-4, 3-6. Fourth seed Fransico Cerundolo also stopped in his opening match against compatriot Diaz Acosta. The remaining seeds that can stop Alcaraz are Nicolas Jarry, Sebastian Baez and Tomas Etcheverry.

"I was a bit nervous because the first match is always difficult," Alcaraz said after the match. "I haven't been on clay since Roland Garros last year. I made a lot of mistakes but I was able to fix them. It's been four years since my first ATP match and now I'm thinking about 200 wins."

In the Netherlands, the ATP 500 tournament in Rotterdam also saw a shock as two top seeds, Holger Rune and Hubert Hurkacz, both lost their opening matches. Meanwhile, top seed Jannik Sinner defeated veteran Gael Monfils 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to set up a quarter-final meeting with Milos Raonic. Sinner's eighth consecutive win of the year puts him on course for his second title in the first two months of the year.

Vy Anh

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