Javier Sanchez

Updated Tuesday, January 23, 2024-08:23

  • Chronicle An explosive Alcaraz beats Kecmanovic on the fast track and is already in the Australian quarterfinals

Blank game for

Carlos Alcaraz

.

Blank game for Carlos Alcaraz.

And so another and another.

In this Australian Open, the number two in the ranking, already classified for the quarterfinals, boasts well-known virtues, such as his speed, the hardness of his forehand or his reaction in the rest, but there is a strong point that comes from a recent improvement: the serve.

In the entire tournament, Alcaraz has only given up one break, against Lorenzo Sonego in the second round, and has accumulated two consecutive matches, against

Juncheng Shang

and this Monday in the round of 16 against

Mionir Kecmanovic

, without granting a single break opportunity.

During his career he has had inspired matches, such as in 2002 at Wimbledon, when he added 30 aces against

Jan-Lennart Struff

or last year in Madrid, when he reached 225 km/h against

Alexander Zverev

, precisely his next rival.

But these days in Melbourne he is exhibiting a consistency of serve that could take him to Olympus.

In preseason, in Villena, together with his coach,

Juan Carlos Ferrero

, he was working on that regularity and so far it is going.

"He insists that I must maintain the intensity all the time and it is something I am working on," Alcaraz admitted yesterday about his technician, absent these days in Melbourne, but present in some way on the track.

His pupil is complying.

«Juan Carlos asks him, without losing his speed and strength, to be more consistent.

"Let him score more good serves in a row,"

Antonio Cascales

, part of the Alcaraz team, confessed to this newspaper.

With only four games played this year and lack of more important rivals, the numbers are excellent.

Compared to last season, his percentage of first serves has improved (68% to 66%) and, above all, he has increased the points won with that first serve (78% to 72%).

In that aspect, in the first Grand Slam of the year, he is in exactly the same statistics as his main rivals,

Novak Djokovic

and

Jannik Sinner

, and only behind specialists such as

Hubert Hurkacz

, who will face Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. .

Fourth in history

The speed of his serves is more or less the same - it has not yet exceeded 215 km/hour in the tournament - but what has changed are the angles.

During preparation in December, Ferrero insisted to Alcaraz that his open serves be shorter, thus forcing his rivals to open up and he is achieving it.

As he did at the Ferrero Tennis Academy with marks on the floor, he is doing it at the Rod Laver Arena.

Against Kecmanovic, this Monday, he added five aces, but his opponent did not get any points from the rest.

Many of the Spaniard's winners came on his second shot and with his serve he barely allowed any exchanges.

«Everything has worked.

“I played an almost perfect game,” Alcaraz analyzed, happy with what he achieved.

His 6-4, 6-4 and 6-0 defeat of Kecmanovic was important because of what it meant, he is the fourth youngest player to reach the quarterfinals in the four Grand Slams, only behind

Boris Becker, Rafa Nadal

and

Novak Djokovic

, but it was also important because of the speed.

Because to reach this phase Alcaraz has barely worn out and is finding rivals tired or outright exhausted.

He happened with Shang, who retired injured, he happened with Kecmanovic, on the limit, and possibly tomorrow with Zverev.

With his usual irregularity, in this Australian Open the German has already played two five-set matches and has accumulated 14 hours on the court.

The last beating was this Monday against

Cameron Norrie

, when he even had to reach the super tie-break to win 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6 and 7-6 (3).

"He has played tough games and it will be difficult for him," Alcaraz pointed out, although Zverev warned him that he is ready.

Both have faced each other seven times with different results - three victories for the Spanish and four for the German - but there is a precedent that is reminiscent of the current situation.

In the quarterfinals of the last US Open, Zverev appeared exhausted after a beating against Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz beat him in three sets.