World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz marked his return to motion following his Wimbledon triumph with a battling 4-6 6-4 (10-8) win over David Goffin of their Hopman Cup conflict that helped Spain degree their tie with Belgium at 1-1.
The 20-year-old, who claimed his second grand slam title on Sunday by beating 23-time main champion Novak Djokovic on the All England Club lawns, didn’t benefit from the smoothest shift again to clay in Nice, France, on his debut within the blended staff occasion.
Taking to the court docket after Elise Mertens beat Rebeka Masarova 7-6(7-3) 2-6 (10-5) to place Belgium 1-0 forward, Alcaraz dropped his serve twice in sweltering situations to give up the opening set tamely to his seasoned opponent.
World No.111 Goffin, who defeated Alcaraz the final time they performed after the teenager bagged the 2022 US Open crown, broke within the opening sport of the subsequent set and consolidated his result in heap the stress on his opponent.
Alcaraz responded by clawing again to 3-3 and rode his luck after each gamers wobbled on serve to degree the match at a set apiece earlier than switching on the after-burners from 0-4 down within the wildly swinging tremendous tiebreak to wrap up the victory.
Alcaraz and Masarova, who changed the injured Paula Badosa within the squad, will face Goffin and Mertens within the blended doubles rubber later.
Spain tackle Croatia on Saturday.
In Friday’s different tie, France and Switzerland have been locked at 1-1 as Alize Cornet downed Celine Naef 1-6 6-3 (10-8) earlier than Richard Gasquet slumped to a 3-6 6-3 (10-8) defeat by Leandro Riedi to arrange a deciding blended doubles match.
The winner will attain Sunday’s last after each groups beat a Denmark aspect that includes males’s world quantity six Holger Rune.
The relaunched Hopman Cup has returned to the tennis calendar this week after a four-year absence, having misplaced its spot forward of the Australian Open on account of the short-lived ATP Cup males’s staff occasion.
The final version of the Hopman Cup, which started in 1989 and was named after Australian nice Harry Hopman, noticed Roger Federer lead Switzerland to the title towards Germany.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
