Alcaraz makes stellar debut in Toronto, taking out Shelton in straight sets to stretch his winning streak to 13

World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his North American hard court season with a relatively uncomplicated 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over rising American Ben Shelton on Wednesday night at the National Bank Open in Toronto.

Alcaraz, who had never won a match at the National Bank Open and never played a match in Toronto, used his experience and all-court game to win a battle of 20-year-olds in one hour and 38 minutes to improve to 48-4 on the 2023 season.

“I tried to play my level but it wasn’t easy,” Alcaraz said afterwards. “He was more aggressive than me from the beginning to the last ball. I tried to be solid and to get my rhythm and I’m really happy to be through to have an opportunity in the next round.

“This match will help me to be more focussed in the next round, to put my game first in the beginning of the match.”

Alcaraz will play Pole Hubert Hurkacz, the No 15 seed, next.

1 match in Toronto = 1 win in Toronto 🤝#NBO23 @carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.com/0tuwWkIIRM

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 10, 2023

Alcaraz saved all three break points he faced and was very successful behind his second serve, winning 22 of 33 points behind it.

In the second set neither player faced a break point but it was Alcaraz who took control in the tiebreak, improving his record in breakers to 12-4 on the season.

The 20-year-old has now won 18 of 20 at the Masters 1000 events this year, and 13 in a row overall.

Watch also

Eye of the coach #79: “Alcaraz doesn’t belong in the Big 3”

Tennis Majors

In the previous round of the Rogers Cup, Shelton, ranked No 41, beat Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles (7-6 (1), 6-4).

Toronto Masters, other second-round results (Aviva Centre, hard, USD 6.600.000, most recent results first):

• Marcos Giron vs. Holger Rune
• Sebastian Korda vs. Aleksandar Vukic: thursday
• Tommy Paul vs. Francisco Cerundolo: wednesday
• Jannik Sinner (7) beat Matteo Berrettini: 6-4, 6-3
• Andy Murray beat Max Purcell (Q): 7-6 (2), 3-6, 7-5
• Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat Alexander Zverev (13): 6-1, 6-2
• Alex De Minaur beat Gabriel Diallo (WC): 6-4, 7-5
• Gael Monfils beat Stefanos Tsitsipas (4): 6-4, 6-3
• Daniil Medvedev (2) beat Matteo Arnaldi (Q): 6-2, 7-5
• Lorenzo Musetti (16) beat Thanasi Kokkinakis (Q): 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
• Hubert Hurkacz beat Miomir Kecmanovic: 5-7, 6-3, 6-0
• Milos Raonic (WC) beat Taro Daniel (Q): 6-4, 6-3
• Taylor Fritz (8) beat Ugo Humbert: 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3
• Mackenzie McDonald beat Andrey Rublev (6): 6-4, 6-3
• Casper Ruud (3) beat Jiri Lehecka: 7-6 (6), 6-4