"Bergs" to believe

Zizou Bergs delivered a nearly perfect match to eliminate Carlos Alcaraz in the third round of the ATP Shanghai by a score of 7-5 7-6(4). The Spanish player appeared desperate with the tournament balls and displayed a very negative attitude from the end of the first set, which lasted for the rest of the match, costing him an earlier-than-expected elimination.

The key to the match was Bergs' serve, which barely gave Alcaraz any chances and ultimately drove him to the point of committing many more errors than usual. Zizou felt very comfortable in these conditions and secured his spot in the round of 16 where he will face the winner of the match between Tommy Paul and Valentin Vacherot, which will take place in a few minutes.

Alcaraz gets frustrated with the Shanghai court

The match started with Alcaraz more erratic than usual, a mistake he would soon pay dearly for. Bergs' electric game put him in trouble during his first service game, and at 2-2, the Spanish player lost his serve after missing a volley that complicated his chances in the set. The Belgian player was playing very flat and unsettled Carlos with his approaches to the net, where Zizou was sublime. Instead of backing down, this situation prompted a change in the Spanish player, who then unleashed his best shots and returned the favor to Bergs to level the score.

When everything seemed to be going well, it reached 5-5 and with it came doubts. After two errors, Alcaraz exploded and complained about the balls, making another double fault and gifting the break to Bergs with another glaring forehand error. "How can it be that one ball bounces and another slides? I can't play like this, I don't understand. I can't play on instinct" Carlos told his bench during the changeover, with complaints that lasted several minutes while his entire team tried to calm him down. Despite saving three set points, he ultimately missed on the fourth, and Zizou took the lead on the scoreboard amid the bad feelings on court for the murciano.

Bergs takes down an erratic Alcaraz

"The sliced backhand is to disrupt his rhythm, and sometimes you're disrupting your own. Hit with more topspin. Focus on playing your game, and if you miss, then miss well", Samu López told his pupil while Bergs went to the bathroom and the match was paused for more than 9 minutes. Although Carlos improved his serve in the second set, he still couldn't hurt Bergs on the return, creating more and more tension in the atmosphere. "Believe in it and hit the ball", he told himself while he grew increasingly frustrated.

The situation not only did not improve, but at 5-5, a deja vu of the first set occurred as Alcaraz failed once again, ultimately losing his serve after sending a backhand wide into the alley. However, Alcaraz pulled out his best tennis when he found himself in trouble and achieved a last-minute break that kept him alive in the match. Finger to his ear, hands raised, and dreaming of a comeback. Unfortunately, in the tiebreak it was Bergs who made fewer mistakes than Carlos and completed the feat. Now it's time to think about the indoor European tour that will mark the end of the season, aiming to win another major title before the year ends.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Bergs" para creer