Queen’s: Alcaraz battles past lucky loser Rinderknech in first match of grass-court season

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the top seed, edged out French lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3) to advance to the second round of the Queen’s at Queen’s Club in London on Tuesday.

The world No 2 came from a break down at 2-0 in the third set before claiming the final-set tiebreak 7-3 to advance to a meeting with Czech Jiri Lehecka next.

🗣️ CARLOS!!! 🗣️
🗣️ CARLOS!!! 🗣️
🗣️ CARLOS!!! 🗣️@carlosalcaraz comes from a set down to defeat Rinderknech, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(3) on his debut at @QueensTennis! @QueensTennis | #cinchChampionships pic.twitter.com/0Von8wvukb

— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 20, 2023

“It was really difficult for me at the beginning to adapt my tennis, my game to the grass,” Alcaraz admitted. But I enjoyed it. It has been a pretty good performance for me, the first match on grass.”

Slow start for Alcaraz

Alcaraz had warned that he might need time to be secure in his movement and Rindernech, a late replacement for Arthur Fils in the main draw, began well, putting Alcaraz under pressure early on. The Frenchman broke for 4-2 and though the Spaniard broke back, he broke again to take the first set.

Slowly, Alcaraz began to find his feet but it took him until the 11th game of the second set to move ahead, breaking serve before levelling the match at one set apiece.

Still Rinderknech had his chance, breaking on his way to a 2-0 lead in the third but Alcaraz snuffed out the break and then, in the deciding tiebreak, raced ahead 6-1 before finishing things off with a forehand winner.

London ATP500, other first-round results (Queen’s Club, grass, EUR 2.195.175, most recent results first):

• Bernabe Zapata Miralles vs. Taylor Fritz
• Alex De Minaur vs. Andy Murray
• Grigor Dimitrov vs. Emil Ruusuvuori: tuesday
• Frances Tiafoe (4) beat Botic van de Zandschulp: 6-2, 6-4
• Jordan Thompson beat Alexei Popyrin (LL): 6-4, 6-4
• Adrian Mannarino beat Liam Broady (WC): 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
• Jiri Lehecka beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: 7-6 (4), 6-3
• Holger Rune (2) beat Maxime Cressy: 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3)
• Francisco Cerundolo (8) beat Tommy Paul (Q): 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-4
• Lorenzo Musetti (6) beat Jan Choinski (WC): 6-4, 6-2
• Diego Schwartzman beat Mackenzie McDonald (Q): 6-2, 6-4
• Sebastian Korda beat Daniel Evans: 6-4, 7-5
• Ben Shelton beat J.J. Wolf (LL): 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2)
• Cameron Norrie (5) beat Miomir Kecmanovic: 6-4, 7-6 (5)
• Ryan Peniston (WC) beat Ugo Humbert: 6-4, 6-2