Alcaraz impresses in classy victory over Cerundolo at Queen’s
The defending champion beat Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 7-5. He will play the winner of the match between Mariano Navone and Jack Draper in the next round
Carlos Alcaraz, Queen’s, 2024 © Action Plus / Panoramic
Carlos Alcaraz made a triumphant return to Queen’s, defeating Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 7-5 with an impressive display to earn his 13th consecutive grass-court victor and take his place in round two of the cinch Championships.
Defending champion Alcaraz was making his first appearance on grass this season, but he showed little sign of the uncertainty that he did at this stage last year when he had initially struggled to get to grips with the surface.
One of the most impressive aspects of the Spaniard’s stunning title runs at Queen’s and then Wimbledon last summer was how quickly he learnt to adapt his craft to the grass courts of London.
It appears those lessons were well embedded, for Alcaraz looked comfortable and assured as he got his grass-court campaign off to another winning start.
Two breaks in the first set were more than enough for the world No 2, as Cerundolo – an adept grass-courter himself – grappled with his own game throughout the opening stanza.
A 5-0 lead quickly turned into a one-set cushion, as Alcaraz’s deft touch and all-court game delighted the British crowd and lit up an otherwise overcast day in West London.
The second set was a different story, however, as Cerundolo raised his level considerably to turn the match into a competitive contest.
The Argentine, a grass-court champion last season when he lifted the title in Eastbourne, moved a break up to lead 5-3 and serve for the second set.
But Alcaraz applied more pressure when it mattered most, breaking Cerundolo twice between two holds of serve as he sprinted past his opponent to seal the win with a run of four straight games.
Alcaraz still learning to improve – an ominous sign for the rest of the field
Despite holding the title of reigning champion at both the prestigious Queen’s Club and at Wimbledon, Alcaraz was quick to stress that he is still learning to improve, especially on grass.
“It doesn’t matter the tournament I’m playing or everything I’ve achieved, I have to still keep learning,” he said in his on-court interview.
“I have to get better every day. Every time I step on a grass court, I have to learn how to move better and how to play better. I feel like I’m still learning here.”
Alcaraz’s last defeat on grass came in 2022, when he fell to Jannik Sinner in the fourth round of Wimbledon. Since then he has compiled a 13-0 win-loss record on grass courts. Astoundingly, this is arguably still his worst surface.
The fact that Alcaraz will only improve as he continues to grow his game is an ominous notion for his opponents.
Yet he potentially faces a fascinating match-up against Jack Draper in the second round, should the Briton get through his opening-round match against Mariano Navone.
Draper’s big-serving game is tailor-made for the grass. Growing up on the surface, he has also recently fulfilled some of his long-held promise by winning his first ATP title at the Stuttgart Open last week.
While Cerundolo is always a tricky opponent, a second-round match against home hope Draper – should it materialise – would be a much more accurate barometer of just where Alcaraz’s grass-court game currently sits.
With Wimbledon on the horizon, the defending champion will relish the opportunity to test himself against some of the best grass-courters before the gates swing open at the All England Club once more.
