Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday marked his return to the world No. 1 spot by comfortably seeing off fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in his first match at Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, as play was cut short by miserable wet weather.
In-form Alcaraz ensured the top spot just by taking to the court to play his second-round match in Rome as he seeks a third straight tournament win.
The 20-year-old, who saw off Ramos-Vinolas 6-4, 6-1, is to overtake Novak Djokovic as world No. 1 and is assured of the top seeding at Roland Garros later this month.
Photo: AP
He came through in a match that started several hours late due to the pelting rain drenching the Italian capital.
“The conditions here weren’t easy: the rain, the waiting all day, not knowing if I was going to play or not. It was tough,” Alcaraz said.
“For me it doesn’t change too much to be No. 1 or No. 2 seed. I just focus on the tournament and on my game,” he said.
Alcaraz is to begin his 23rd week at world No. 1 on Monday next week.
Fifth-ranked Stefanos Tsitspas was set to join Alcaraz in the third round as he led Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-4, 4-3 when play was halted for the day due to another downpour.
Caroline Garcia became the fourth top 10 player to be dumped out of the women’s tournament after the world No. 4 lost 6-4, 6-4 to outsider Camila Osorio.
Qualifier Osorio almost broke down in tears after her shock straight sets victory in a match that started two hours late and was interrupted for more than an hour at the start of the second set.
A career-best win for world No. 100 Osorio puts her in the last 16 of a WTA 1000 event for the first time.
“I’ve been struggling a little bit with my injuries and now that I’m back playing and beating the No. 4 in the world I can’t believe it,” she said. “I’m just super happy and proud about how I managed to stay calm and finish the match.”
In women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and the Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova lost to Ukraine’s Nadiia Kichenok and Belgium’s Kimberley Zimmerman 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 10-6, after a rain delay.
Taiwanese sisters Chan Hao-ching and Latisha Chan were last night to play Poland’s Magda Linette and Marketa Vondrousova in their round-of-32 match after Saturday’s weather delays.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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