Alcaraz warms up engines in paradise

Óscar Belloch | 8 Mar 2025 | 23.20

Carlos Alcaraz. Photo: Getty

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As if time stood still, Carlos Alcaraz once again showed his best at the Indian Wells Masters. After his two crowns in 2023 and 2024, he made his debut against Quentin Halys to confirm that when he plays at the 'Tennis Paradise', he unleashes the beast within. The player from Murcia won 6-4 6-2 in 1 hour and 7 minutes, displaying dominance throughout and not allowing the Frenchman to pose any threat, despite Halys coming in good form after reaching the semifinals of the Dubai ATP, where he lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The love story that Carlos Alcaraz lives in Indian Wells is that of a superstar. So far, he has played 19 matches in the tournament with a record of 17-2. Interestingly, the only two defeats were against two other tennis legends: Rafa Nadal in the 2022 semifinal and Andy Murray in 2021, which marked 'Carlitos' debut in the Californian Masters.

- Smooth Sailing

Alcaraz didn't delay and pressed from the start to take the lead in the set. He achieved this in the third game, securing a comfortable break and smoothly advancing to 5-4, where he had to save a break point with 30-40. The Spaniard kept his composure, turned it around, and celebrated being just one step away from the third round of one of his favorite tournaments.

Perhaps Quentin Halys didn't pose a significant challenge for Carlos, but the Frenchman came in with confidence after a good result in Dubai and after passing the first round at the Californian event against Pablo Carreño (6-3 6-4). The question was how Alcaraz would adapt to the courts, but he showed absolute faith in himself, and the calm weather conditions helped mask any change in his game (due to the court change in the tournament) compared to previous years.

- Quick Victory and Focus on Shapovalov

In the blink of an eye, Carlos Alcaraz took the lead in the second set, and with a 2-0 advantage, it seemed he would conserve energy on serve and focus on playing very concentrated service games. Far from it, he was down 30-0 and then strung together four great points in a row to secure another break. He ultimately defeated the Frenchman 6-2 without facing any more break points. He is already thinking about his next opponent, the Canadian Denis Shapovalov, who has been experiencing a resurgence in recent months and won his debut against Adam Walton 6-3 6-2.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz calienta motores en el paraíso