NEW DELHI: In his debut appearance at Queen's Club in London, Carlos Alcaraz displayed his resilience and determination by securing a hard-fought victory over French player Arthur Rinderknech.
The match went the distance, with Alcaraz eventually triumphing 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(3), bouncing back from a disappointing performance at the French Open.
The young Spanish tennis player is considered one of the main contenders not only at the Queen's grasscourt tournament but also at Wimbledon, which will take place next month.
Despite facing a tough challenge from Rinderknech, who entered the match as a lucky loser following the withdrawal of his compatriot Arthur Fils, Alcaraz showcased his fighting spirit and managed to come out on top.
The clash proved to be a memorable one, with Rinderknech pushing Alcaraz to his limits in the first-round encounter.
"It was a very tough match, very difficult for me," Alcaraz said. "You know the grass is tough but I like to play here. It's a tournament that I wanted to play and it's given me a very good performance.
"I have never played a tournament except Wimbledon on grass and I wanted to play here as I couldn't play on grass at home so I came here to practice. I felt very good, but I would say I will be better in the next round," he added
The 20-year-old, who slipped to world number two after suffering cramps during his semi-final defeat by Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros, will try to reclaim top spot even though he is playing in only his third career grasscourt tournament.
Alcaraz will face Czech Jiri Lehecka in the second round.
(With Reuters inputs)
