Carlos Alcaraz acted the role of the smiling would-be assassin at Wimbledon.
I’m really happy about my performance. The first set was the key for me.
He served for the set, then I played a really good tie-break. In the second set and third set, I played a really high level so I’m really happy about it Carlos Alcaraz
The 21-year-old defending champion had just overcome Alexandre Vukic 7-6(5) 6-2 6-2 in one-hour, 48-minutes on No.1 Court to set up a third-round meeting with American Frances Tiafoe who warned the Spaniard that he was “coming after him”.
When informed of the intentions of Tiafoe, whom he defeated on route to the US Open title last autumn, a grin almost as wide as the court he stood on stretched across his face.
And he said: “I’m going for him! We played a really good match in the US Open. I know he is a really talented player, a tough one, even tougher on grass with his style. Good volley, good slices. It is going to be a very difficult match for me. I’m ready to take that challenge, put on a show. I’m ready to play a really high level of tennis and hopefully take him.”
He certainly cranked himself up to achieve it against Vukic, the world No.69.
Alcaraz was on cruise control in the opening set. It seemed the Spaniard was going to make short work of his Australian opponent. He gained a break in the sixth game displaying his all-round game; feel for the ball and powerful shot-making aligned with a can-do attitude. Legend John McEnroe remarked his game was “so complete”; that his confidence was “as high as it’s ever been”.
But Vukic found a chink in the armour as he broke the title-holder twice with Alcaraz going off the boil after a slip on the turf.
But nerves appeared to hit the big-hitting Aussie as he served for the set and his opponent forced a tie-break.
Alcaraz built a 4-1 lead in it. Vukic battled back to 5-4 but the 21-year-old on the other side of the net maintained his composure to seal the set.
It appeared the Australian’s spirit was getting closer to breaking as Alcaraz raced through the second set to double his lead.
It was the same story in the third with the last two sets combined proving shorter than the first.
Carlos Alcaraz chats with Aleksandar Vukic at the net following his win
(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Alcaraz said: “I’m really happy about my performance. The first set was the key for me.
He served for the set, then I played a really good tie-break. In the second set and third set, I played a really high level so I’m really happy about it.”
“It was difficult for me to close the set. I knew it was going to be the same. I had to be there. I put a few returns in, a few winners. It was a really good game for me on the return side. In those situations, you have to increase your level, you have to put the early ball in, try to be aggressive with your style so that’s all I thought about in that situation and it was really helpful for me.”
For the record Tiafoe defeated Croatia’s Borna Coric 7-6(5) 6-1 6-3 to earn his return date with Alcaraz.
