DUBAI: Corentin Moutet was booed off the court after smashing his racket and retiring midway through the second set of his first-round match against fellow Frenchman Harold Mayot at the Madrid Open.
Trailing 3-6, 2-3 on Wednesday, Moutet smashed his racket in frustration after losing a point. He walked to his chair to get a new one but, after what seemed like an exchange of words with the jeering crowd, headed to the umpire to signal his retirement.
The 26-year-old later said on X that he had been struggling with a lingering back injury throughout the match.
“I went to do an MRI directly after my match I’m still waiting for the result,” Moutet wrote on X after the match. “I wanted to try today but I didn’t know that it would be that bad.”
“My back didn’t allow me to do much. I hope to be back soon on the court. All the best to my opponent for the rest of the tournament.”
Moutet smashes racket in front of jeering crowd as injury ends Madrid run
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Moutet smashes racket in front of jeering crowd as injury ends Madrid run
- The 26-year-old later said on X that he had been struggling with a lingering back injury throughout the match.
Alcaraz swats aside Walton as career Grand Slam bid begins in Melbourne
- The 22-year-old Spaniard can eclipse Don Budge and become the youngest man to win all four major singles titles at least once
MELBOURNE: Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his latest bid for a career Grand Slam by dismantling unseeded Australian Adam Walton 6-3 7-6(2) 6-2 in the first round of the Australian Open on Sunday, as the world number one showcased the power and precision befitting a player chasing history.
The 22-year-old Spaniard, who can eclipse Don Budge and become the youngest man to win all four major singles titles at least once, gave a packed Rod Laver Arena an exhibition in shot-making that had fans either glued to their seats or rising in ovation.
“I’m really happy to step on to the court for the first time this season. I think it couldn’t be better than here at Rod Laver Arena. It was a good match, I felt great,” Alcaraz said.
“Adam (showed) a great level in the match so I had to stay there. Overall, I’m happy with the level I played at today.
“It was difficult to find good spots (against him) ... he was always in a good position, long rallies and solid from the baseline. His flat ball was sometimes really difficult for me.
“It was a really solid match and when he was able to step in on the court and play aggressive, he did, and that made it really difficult in the match.”
A ferocious forehand helped Alcaraz to grab the first break for a 5-3 lead and the six-times Grand Slam champion closed out the opening set on his retooled serve, which now bears more than a passing resemblance to the delivery of Novak Djokovic.
That technical tweak followed Alcaraz’s abrupt split last month with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, whose steadying influence was missing when the Spaniard was dragged into a second-set tiebreak after a spell of loose, crowd-pleasing tennis.
A ruthless Alcaraz came out all guns blazing to double his advantage in the clash and then rode the momentum to ease through the third set, booking a second-round meeting with Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.
