MONTE CARLO - Second seed Carlos Alcaraz dismantled world number 22 Francisco Cerundolo to accomplish his first victory at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, launching his campaign in The Principality on Wednesday.
Chasing his sixth Masters 1000 title on tour, a first at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz delivered a statement performance to take out Argentine Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 in one hour and 38 minutes on Wednesday afternoon.
The player mentored by Juan Carlos Ferrero will face German qualifier Daniel Altmaier, who earlier in the day cut short Frenchman Richard Gasquet ‘s run, securing a three-set win.
The encounter will mark their first meeting at tour level.
The Match as It Happened
Cerundolo made a fast start to the opener, and despite dropping his serve in the third game, he stayed the course, converting a double break on his way to seal an intense first set 6-3 in just 35 minutes.
Alcaraz unleashed his forehand to damage his adversary, surging to the net and executing his trademark drop shots with brilliance.
Nonetheless, he struggled to find his timing, off the back of seven unforced errors, allowing the Argentine to find the breathing room he needed to start in front.
The world No. 22 displayed a sharp performance behind his serve, winning 81 percent of the points on his first serve and 56 percent on his second.
As the second set wore on, the former world number one quickly adjusted his game.
After a lengthy first game in which he saved two breakpoints to hold his ground, the 2024 Roland-Garros winner powered through his opponent, breaking to extend his advantage to 2-0.
The Spaniard painted the lines to recover from a 15-40 deficit on his serve, continuing to make the most of his vast repertoire to escape danger.
From that moment on, their first meeting at tour-level on clay, their third overall, turned into a one-sided affair as the Spaniard neutralized the 3-time ATP titlist, winning most of the points to close out with a bagel, sending the match to a final set.
The four-time Grand Slam champion hit seven winners, five on his forehand.
Fine margins separated the players as the third set got underway. Nonetheless, the 21-year-old from Murcia never lost control of the match or sight of his immediate goal, to earn his maiden win at the tournament in only his second appearance.
When Cerundolo hit two double faults, Alcaraz capitalized on his chances, converting the break in the fourth game and holding to inch ahead 4-1.
The second seed dismantled the Buenos Aires native, who failed to find solutions to the challenges posed by the Spanish force, grabbing a second break in the sixth game before wrapping proceedings 6-1, advancing to the round of 16.
Alcaraz struck 19 winners against 31 unforced errors (14 with his backhand), converted six of eight breakpoints, and won 68 percent of the points on his first serve.
