MADRID — Carlos Alcaraz passed a “test of fire” to breeze into the Madrid Open last 16 with a straight sets victory over Thiago Seyboth Wild, demonstrating he is over his injury worries before the French Open.
The double defending champion came through 6-3, 6-3 and will face last year’s runner-up Jan-Lennard Struff in the next round after another impressive showing before adoring fans on home soil.
World number three Alcaraz, 20, missed a month prior to Madrid with a forearm issue but returned to crush Alexander Shevchenko in the second round.
Still wearing a protective sleeve on his right arm, he had far too much for Seyboth Wild, who had ousted 28th seed Lorenzo Musetti.
“Maybe I was a bit nervous about how it would be, Thiago hits the ball so hard, I didn’t know how the forearm would hold up,” said Alcaraz on court.
“It was the test of fire, no discomfort, feeling spectacular… from here, we’ll be getting better,” he added according to Reuters.
“Coming into this match I was nervous a little bit because I didn’t know how my forearm was going to be. Thiago has big shots. He is really strong. I am really happy with the performance. It was difficult a little bit at the end, at 5-0 and then serving at 5-3. I am really happy to get it at the end.”
Alcaraz gained the decisive break in the sixth game of the first set when Seyboth Wild netted a forehand. The No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings took further control with an early break of serve at the start of the second set after the Brazilian missed a forehand volley.
Alcaraz missed clay-court events in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona due to a right arm injury and played with strapping against Seyboth Wild.
However, he looked comfortable throughout, striking his forehand powerfully to force the 24-year-old deep during the 76-minute clash. He ended with a 20-18 winners-to-unforced errors count, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
The two-time major champion is chasing his sixth ATP Masters 1000 crown and second of the season, having lifted the trophy in Indian Wells. He will next meet Jan-Lennard Struff, who lost to Alcaraz in last year’s Madrid final.
“Hopefully the result is going to be like the final last year,” Alcaraz said looking ahead to his match with Struff.
“I know his level. I know his game and I know that I have to play at my best if I am going to have to beat him. Be really focused on return, putting as many balls in and being in the rallies.”
Hubert Hurkacz improved to 8-1 on clay this season with a 6-4, 7-6(2) victory against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier.
Germany’s Struff defeated Frenchman Ugo Humbert 7-5, 6-4.
Andrey Rublev came back from 5-0 down in a first set tie-break to beat home favourite Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6 (12/10), 6-4 in a nervy affair.
The world number eight saved five set points to stun his opponent, before a similarly hard-fought second set.
Women’s world number four Elena Rybakina eased to a 6-1, 6-4 win over Egypt’s Mayar Sherif to reach the last 16.
Rybakina will face teenager Sara Bejlek in the next round after the Czech defeated American Ashlyn Krueger 6-3, 6-1.
“I’ve never played against a player like this,” said the 18-year-old. “I will try my best and we’ll see how it will go tomorrow.”
Mirra Andreeva defeated Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 6-1 to return to the last 16 for the second year running.
The 16-year-old Russian won 25 points to nine in the second set against the world number seven from the Czech Republic.
