Alcaraz defeats Quinn in straight sets in Barcelona opener

Carlos Alcaraz was dragged into a second-set tussle on Tuesday, but prevailed in fine fashion to extend his winning streak at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell to 11 matches.

The 21-year-old Spaniard withstood American qualifier Ethan Quinn 6-2, 7-6(6) to advance to the second round at the clay-court ATP 500. Alcaraz was forced to rally from 1-3 in the second set, and saved a set point on return at 5/6 in the tie-break, but produced a timely surge in form to deny Quinn a comeback of his own.

“It’s a really special tournament for me, so I’m really happy to play again here, in front of my people,” said Alcaraz, who saved five of eight break points, according to Infosys ATP Stats. “It was a difficult match for me, I just had to deal with the pressure and the nerves. But I’m really happy to have won in straight sets, and give myself a bit of energy for the next matches.”

Alcaraz, who won back-to-back titles in Barcelona in 2022-23 (did not play 2024), was pushed in a high-quality second set of his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Quinn. Yet the Spaniard was able to find joy in the heat of battle, highlighted by the smile on his face that was evident throughout the one-hour, 46-minute match.

With his victory over Quinn, the No. 126 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Alcaraz picked up where he left off after lifting his sixth ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Monte-Carlo on Sunday. The Spaniard, who is now 18-1 on clay since last May, will next face qualifier Laslo Djere in Barcelona.

“The clay season is short and really intense,” Alcaraz added. “You have to be at 100 per cent in every match, every tournament. Two days ago I playing a final in Monte-Carlo… It’s different conditions here, so I couldn’t rest at all, that’s why saving energy is really important right now.”