Two-time BNP Paribas Open champion Carlos Alcaraz displayed his vast repertoire at the Hard Rock Stadium Saturday evening to outlast fellow Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2, 6-1 in one hour and 25 minutes, progressing to the third round in Miami.
In blistering form, the World No. 2 showcased a powerful performance, dominating play from the get-go, charging at the net with brilliance to win 77 percent of his approaches.
Also, rock solid behind his serve, the Spanish player earned 79 percent of the first serve points and 39 percent on his second delivery.
Assessing his performance after the encounter, Alcaraz commented: “I had to adapt to the conditions; the ball goes differently to Indian Wells, and I had to see how it would be. I’m really happy with my performance and how I hit the ball.”
On Monday, he will clash against in-form Gael Monfils, who continued his run of form at the Miami Open presented by Itau on Saturday, taking down 33rd seed Jordan Thompson (3)-6-7, 6-1, 6-2, achieving a notable 550th career victory after two hours and 13 minutes.
His first-rounder in Miami Gardens saw the 12-time ATP titlist notching a 7-6, (7-5), 6-4 win against Dusan Lajovic 7-6, (7-5), 6-4, securing a comeback triumph in style.
Monfils’s best result thus far this season came in Qatar, when he made it through the semifinals, losing to Czech Jakub Mensik in a three-setter.
The 37-year-old impressive form has seen him starting 2024 ranked at World No. 74, rising to the No. 47 spot, courtesy of the positive results he has collected.
The two-time Grand Slam semifinalist has been making headlines since his return to tour-level competition a year ago after being away for seven months due to a foot injury.
The highlights of his 2023 season include a quarterfinal appearance in Toronto, falling to eventual champion Jannik Sinner, who won his maiden Masters 1000 title in Canada.
A month later, the Frenchman debuted with Team Europe at the Laver Cup staged in Vancouver, building form to claim the Stockholm title, beating Pavel Kotov in the final held last October at the ATP 250.
On Monday, Alcaraz and Molfils will face one another for the second time on tour. They previously met in 2022, a match the former took on the hard court surface.
When asked about his thoughts should he face Thompson or Monfils, during his post-match press conference, the Murcia native outlined: “I played against each other, against both of them.”
“Gael is playing a great tennis. [He] has beaten big guys this year. I have to be ready if I’m going to play against Gael.”