French Open: Champion Carlos Alcaraz passes ‘test of fire’ to reach last 16

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 on Sunday, 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.

Indian Wells champion Alcaraz broke for a 4-3 lead in the first set when Seyboth Wild blinked first and sent a forehand into the net.

The second seed sealed the set with another break when his Brazilian opponent double faulted.

Alcaraz stepped up a gear in the second set, winning 10 of the first 11 points and breaking in the second and fourth games as he raced into a 5-0 lead.

Seyboth Wild battled to a hold and a break to salvage some pride but Alcaraz triumphed on serve when the Brazilian went long.

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 kept his nerve and saved five set points to stun his opponent, before a similarly hard-fought second set.

Rublev broke for a 5-4 lead with a shot which the Spaniard chose to leave as he thought it was long, but Hawk-Eye showed it was in by a whisker.

The Russian wrapped up his win with a forehand winner, his second win of the week after four straight defeats.

Moreover, the 8th seed Hubert Hurkacz beat Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 7-6, Tallon Griekspoor beat Holger Rune 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 12th seed Taylor Fritz beat Sebastian Baez 6-2, 6-3 while Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff defeated Frenchman Ugo Humbert 7-5, 6-4 to reach next round. Agencies

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