ROTTERDAM, Netherlands: Carlos Alcaraz eased into the quarter-finals of the Rotterdam Open on Thursday with a comfortable straight-sets win over Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori.
The top-seeded Alcaraz had far too much firepower and accuracy for Vavassori, ranked 317 in the world, running out a 6-2, 6-1 winner in just over an hour.
“Today, I think I hit everything pretty well. I’m just hopeful I can keep going and be a bit better next round,” said the Spaniard after the match.
Wearing a breathing aid on his nose as he recovers from illness, Alcaraz got off to a flying start, breaking in the very first game and sealing the set 6-2 as the Italian pushed a forehand wide.
The Spaniard again broke early in the second set, taking the third game with a sumptuous lob. A second break followed quickly afterwards as the Italian double-faulted.
Alcaraz wrapped up the match with another break of serve, sending a powerful forehand return to the feet of the Italian, who could only poke it wide.
“I had no ups and downs today which is good for me, something I’m working on,” said Alcaraz.
Thursday’s victory was a stark contrast to his first-round match, when he required nearly three hours to dispatch local hero Botic van de Zandschulp.
“The first match of every tournament it’s never easy to get used to the conditions, so I’m just trying to make the most of the time I spent here in the first round,” he said.
Alcaraz will face Pedro Martinez for a place in the semifinals after his compatriot stunned Danish fifth seed Holger Rune 6-4, 6-1.
Earlier Thursday, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas saved a match point and battled from a set down to overcome local hope Tallon Griekspoor in a three-hour marathon.
The world number 12 eventually overcame spirited resistance from the Dutchman with a 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 victory in a match lasting around three hours.
“I feel like I was here for 10 hours today. I felt like me and Tallon played for ages and I feel like it was a marathon. We started yesterday and finished today,” he joked.
“I always felt that he brought the best out of me. We were both fighting pretty well out on the court. These are matches that are going to be remembered.”
Tsitsipas now faces a quarter-final clash with Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci, who shocked second seed Daniil Medvedev in a marathon three-setter on Wednesday.
Also through to the quarter-finals in the bottom half of the draw is last year’s runner-up Alex de Minaur, who defeated Czech teenager Jakub Mensik 6-4, 6-4.
Alcaraz cruises, Tsitsipas scrapes through in Rotterdam
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Alcaraz cruises, Tsitsipas scrapes through in Rotterdam
- The top-seeded Alcaraz had far too much firepower and accuracy for Vavassori, ranked 317 in the world, running out a 6-2, 6-1 winner in just over an hour
- Earlier Thursday, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas saved a match point and battled from a set down to overcome local hope Tallon Griekspoor in a three-hour marathon
Alonso fears more pain in China with struggling Aston Martin
- Fernando Alonso said Thursday he expects another difficult weekend wrestling with his new Aston Martin at the Chinese Grand Prix after failing to finish the season-opener in Australia
SHANGHAI: Fernando Alonso said Thursday he expects another difficult weekend wrestling with his new Aston Martin at the Chinese Grand Prix after failing to finish the season-opener in Australia.
Silverstone-based Aston Martin endured a horror start after serious issues with their Honda power unit and a lack of spare parts.
Two-time world champion Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll had to endure extreme vibration in the chassis caused by the power unit, which was feared could cause the drivers permanent nerve damage.
“The situation unfortunately didn’t change within four or five days since Melbourne, so it will be a difficult weekend,” Alonso told reporters at the Shanghai International Circuit.
“We’ll limit the laps in one or two sessions as we are short on parts. We need laps, to find the window on the chassis side.
“I’ll be happy if we leave China with a more or less normal practice, more or less normal qualifying.”
The Spaniard could not put a timeframe on when improvements might come.
“What can I do within the team? Work harder, help Honda as much as I can,” said Alonso.
“We can allocate resources to help Honda with the power unit. We are one team, it is a bumpy start that I hope won’t last too long.
“We are pushing, we have very talented people in the team, so I hope within a couple of grands prix, we can have a normal weekend.
“To be competitive will take more time. Once we fix the reliability, we will be behind on power and things.”
The 44-year-old veteran has been in Formula One for more than two decades and has driven vastly different iterations of cars from the old V10 petrol engines through to the current complex hybrid configuration.
Despite the issues he said was embracing the challenge of the new cars enthusiastically in what could be his final season on the grid.
His Aston Martin contract expires at the end of 2026.
“Do we enjoy driving these cars? Yes, because we love racing,” Alonso said.
“I do four or five 24-hour races because I love racing and I love driving. So if you jump into an F1 car, you enjoy going fast.
“But it is a challenge, a different challenge.
“I was super lucky to race in (the last) era and I feel lucky to race in both.”
