4 months ago
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Carlos Alcaraz kicked disconnected his latest bid for a vocation Grand Slam by dismantling unseeded Australian Adam Walton 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-2 successful the archetypal circular of the Australian Open connected Sunday (January 18, 2026), arsenic the satellite fig one showcased the powerfulness and precision befitting a subordinate chasing history.
The 22-year-old Spaniard, who tin eclipse Don Budge and go the youngest antheral to triumph each 4 large singles titles astatine slightest once, gave a packed Rod Laver Arena an accumulation successful shot-making that had fans either glued to their seats oregon rising successful ovation.
“I’m truly blessed to measurement onto the tribunal for the archetypal clip this season. I deliberation it couldn’t beryllium amended than present astatine Rod Laver Arena. It was a bully match, I felt great,” Alcaraz said.
“Adam (showed) a large level successful the match, truthful I had to enactment there. Overall, I’m blessed with the level I played astatine today.
“It was hard to find bully spots (against him)... helium was ever successful a bully position, agelong rallies and coagulated from the baseline. His level shot was sometimes truly hard for me.
“It was a truly coagulated match, and erstwhile helium was capable to measurement successful connected the tribunal and play aggressively, helium did, and that made it truly hard successful the match.”
A ferocious forehand helped Alcaraz to drawback the archetypal interruption for a 5-3 lead, and the six-times Grand Slam champion closed retired the opening acceptable connected his retooled serve, which present bears much than a passing resemblance to the transportation of Novak Djokovic.
That method tweak followed Alcaraz’s abrupt divided past period with long-time manager Juan Carlos Ferrero, whose steadying power was missing erstwhile the Spaniard was dragged into a second-set tiebreak aft a spell of loose, crowd-pleasing tennis.
A ruthless Alcaraz came retired each guns blazing to treble his vantage successful the clash and past rode the momentum to easiness done the 3rd set, booking a second-round gathering with Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.
In opposition with his rubric successes astatine the different Grand Slams, the 22-year-old has ne'er been past the quarter-finals astatine Melbourne Park.
“The past 2 years I’ve been playing truly bully tennis, but successful the quarter-finals I mislaid to (Alexander) Zverev and (Novak) Djokovic,” the apical effect told reporters.
“I deliberation it’s antithetic to play players (like that) successful a quarter-final if you are (number) 1 oregon 2 successful the world.
“But it isn’t an excuse. I conscionable truly privation to execute amended than I did successful erstwhile years. I’m conscionable feeling this year... I volition astir apt person the accidental to spell further.”
