Carlos Alcaraz, in search of the only Grand Slam title in Melbourne that still eludes him, won without much difficulty against Alexander Shevchenko (ATP 77) in the first round of the Australian Open. The Spaniard (3) beat the Kazakh 6-1 7-5 6-1 in just under two hours.
Alcaraz started the game very well, winning the first set 6-1 in less than half an hour before taking a break ahead in the second (3-1).
Shevchenko then rebelled: after erasing his break behind (3-3), he in turn stole the Spaniard’s throw-in to take control (5-4, service to follow).
But the world No. 3 immediately gave him back, lining up four games to win the 2nd set 7-5. The Spaniard, quarter-finalist in Melbourne in 2024, then quietly concluded in the last set, won by the same score as the first (6-1). In the 2nd round, the four-time Grand Slam winner will play against the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka (65
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