Alcaraz Makes Fast Start In Umag Title Defence

The pressure of playing as defending champion appears to suit Carlos Alcaraz.

A year ago, the #NextGenATP Spaniard lifted his maiden ATP Tour title at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. On Thursday, Alcaraz raced past Norbert Gombos 6-2, 6-3 on his return to the clay-court ATP 250 event in Croatia.

Despite the straightforward scoreline, however, Alcaraz was tested on his own serve by the World No. 117 Gombos. The Spaniard was forced to fend off seven break points in his win and converted four of his own 12 opportunities to reach his eighth quarter-final of the year.

“It was a really tough match,” said Alcaraz afterwards. “It wasn’t as easy as the result seems. Norbert played a really good game and the first round of every tournament is never easy, so I had to get used to the conditons. It was tough for me, but at the end I found a way to play better and get the win.”

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Since defeating Richard Gasquet for the title in Umag last year, Alcaraz has added four further tour-level titles to his tally, including ATP Masters 1000 crowns at the Miami Open presented by Itau and the Mutua Madrid Open, and risen to a career-high No. 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Despite tasting defeat in an ATP Tour final for the first time on Sunday, when he fell to Lorenzo Musetti in a thrilling three-set championship match at the Hamburg European Open, Alcaraz bounced back in style against Gombos. The top seed showcased his typical variety to move his opponent around the court, striking cleanly from deep and using his drop shot to good effect en route to a clinical one-hour, 38-minute victory.

The win improved Alcaraz’s record on clay in 2022 to 25-3. His quarter-final challenger in Umag will be Facundo Bagnis, who earlier eased to a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 win against Corentin Moutet.

“I played against him [Bagnis] in Challengers, I remember we played tough matches,” said Alcaraz. “I know him so well, and he’s a great player on clay, so it’s going to be a really tough match, but I’m going to try to show my best.”

There was no such joy for Hamburg champion Musetti on Thursday. Marco Cecchinato upset the 20-year-old 6-4, 6-3 in an all-Italian battle to improve his record in Umag to 8-4.

The former World No. 16 Cecchinato lifted the trophy in Croatia in 2018 and he has settled nicely on the clay in Croatia again this year after coming through qualifying. Cecchinato converted all four of his break points in a clinical display to snap Musetti’s six-match winning streak.

That win booked Cecchinato a quarter-final clash with another Italian qualifier, Franco Agamenone. The 29-year-old backed up his maiden Tour win against Laslo Djere in the first round in Umag with a 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 triumph against fourth seed Sebastian Baez.