It is rare to see Carlos Alcaraz being dominated and outpaced by an opponent. However, this is exactly what happened to him this Thursday against the impressive and intrepid Tomas Machac (33e), in the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters 1000.
Beaten and unable to respond to the pace and rhythm imposed by the Czech player, the Spaniard shared his impressions at a press conference, admitting the superiority of his opponent and his inability to react.
“I felt like I was playing against a Top 5 player, not even Top 10, no, Top 5, his level was so high. I thought he was going to give me an opportunity, a window, but he didn’t. From the first game to the last, his level was so high. His ball speed was incredible. I feel good, honestly, I felt good on the court, I was hitting the ball well, I was moving well. But, honestly, at a certain point, I didn’t know what to do anymore. It was one of those matches where it was crazy that I couldn’t play on his forehand. Every time he hit his forehand it was a winner, or the next ball he was going to hit a winner again. It was incredible, it was crazy for me. He pushed me to the limit all the time and I told myself that I always had to put the right ball in the right place. Otherwise, I was going to run everywhere, or he was going to make a game-winning shot. So I think the pressure he put on me was the key to the match. »
Published on Thursday October 10, 2024 at 6:58 p.m.
