May 31, 2024
Carlos Alcaraz kick-started his 2024 Australian Open campaign with a 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-2 triumph against Richard Gasquet on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old and second seed who was away from the Australian Open for two years breezed past his opponent in two-hour, 22-minute inside Rod Laver Arena at the hard-court major in Melbourne.
“It’s always great to play here in Australia,” said Alcaraz in his on-court interview. “This is the third time that I’m playing here. I didn’t have a good run the years that I played here, but I enjoyed it a lot and I missed it last year. Today I felt really good, playing here and I enjoyed in front of the crowd.
“I tried to get better. I think in the first set I struggled a little bit with his game and Richard was playing great as well. Every set, I played better and better, and in the end I think I played quite a good level.”
Alcaraz who was making his first appearance for the 2024 season as he looks to back up a stellar 2023 during which he lifted six tour-level trophies and constantly battled for the No. 1 spot in the ATP Rankings with Novak Djokovic will next meet Italian Lorenzo Sonego who won 4-6, 7-6(8), 6-2, 7-6(4) against Daniel Evans.
Elsewhere, Arthur Fils continued his strong start to the 2024 season with a debut 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 victory against Jiri Vesely on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old Frenchman who reached the Next Gen ATP Finals title match to close 2023, opened the new year with a quarter-final run in Hong Kong and a semi-final showing in Auckland will next face 28th seed Tallon Griekspoor, who defeated Wimbledon quarter-finalist Roman Safiullin 7-5 in the fifth set.
Holger Rune overcame hot conditions and a stern test from Yoshihito Nishioka on Tuesday in Melbourne to advance to the second round with a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 victory.
He next face French wild card Arthur Cazaux, who beat Laslo Djere 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 earlier on Tuesday.
After a United cup victory with country Germany last week, Alexander Zverev confidently started his 2024 campaign at the opening Grand Slam of the season on Tuesday evening in Melbourne, where he downed his fellow German Dominik Koepfer 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), 6-3.
The 26-year-old Zverev, whose best showing at Melbourne Park is a semi-final run in 2020, will next take on Slovakian qualifier Lukas Klein, who earlier defeated Soonwoo Kwon 7-6(0), 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-3.
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