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Only John McEnroe was faster than Carlos Alcaraz

Only John McEnroe was faster than Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz can become number 1 with a title in Indian Wells. (APA)
Credit: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/JULIAN FINNEY

With his 100th individual victory on the ATP tour, Carlos Alcaraz reached the round of 16 at the Masters 1000 tennis tournament in Indian Wells. The 19-year-old Spaniard defeated the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 7: 6 (4), 6: 3 and now has to deal with Jack Draper. The 21-year-old had previously won the British duel with Andy Murray, 14 years his senior.

Alcaraz needed just 132 matches for his 100 wins. Only the legendary American John McEnroe was faster (131). “It’s a nice brand – it was a hard piece of work to get there. Now it’s important to stick with it and continue successfully,” said Alcaraz, who celebrated his first victory on the ATP tour as a 16-year-old in 2020 in Rio de Janeiro.

Last year he became US Open winner and number one in the world for the first time. Should he win the title again this week, he would return to the top. Novak Djokovic is currently number one. The Serb will not play in the $10.1 million hard court tournament due to the lack of a corona vaccination and the resulting non-issuance of a US visa.

In the women’s category, the top seeded Iga Swiatek defeated the Canadian Bianca Andreescu, a former US Open winner 6: 3, 7: 6 (1) and is now dealing with another Grand Slam winner from New York, namely Emma Raducanu. The Briton fell ill after the Australian Open and was also out of action due to an injury. Now, for the first time since her run of success in 2021 in Flushing Meadows, she has had three wins in a row. Swiatek is 1-0 ahead in head-to-head.

Zurenko’s panic attack

Ukraine qualifier Lesia Zurenko has pulled out of her third-round match against Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka because of a panic attack. The Ukrainian explained that she suffered this after a conversation with WTA boss Steve Simon. According to her, Simon is said to have made insensitive comments about the war in Ukraine.

“The reason for the withdrawal was a panic attack,” Zurenko was quoted as saying on Big Tennis Ukraine’s website. “Officially it will be called ‘personal reasons’, but in reality it’s breathing problems and – you could say – hysteria,” said the 33-year-old.

Dominic Thiem will do a fitness block with Duglas Cordero before the tournament in Miami the week after next. “A week of intensive fitness is now a priority,” said manager Moritz Thiem.

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