World no. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is off to a winning start in Toronto. Carlos toppled Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 in an hour and 38 minutes, notching his 40th Masters 1000 victory at 20! The Wimbledon champion fired 17 winners and 24 unforced errors, missing a lot from his forehand but doing enough to seal the deal in straight sets.
Carlos fired 31 service winners and reduced Ben to 22. The Spaniard denied all three break points and grabbed a single break in the opener to make the difference. The American fought well in the second set before falling 7-3 in the tie break, ending his campaign in the second round.
Alcaraz made a slow start and faced all three break points in the encounter’s first game. World no. 1 denied them and held with an ace after eight minutes to avoid an early setback. Carlos held after deuce in the third game and created three break chances in the next one.
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Ben Shelton in the second round in Canada.
A left-hander hit a double fault on the third to drop serve and fall 3-1 behind.
Carlos held at 30 in game five to confirm the break and settle into a fine rhythm. The Spaniard held with a smash winner in game seven and served for the set at 5-3. Alcaraz wrapped up the set with a service winner, forging the advantage after 42 minutes.
Both players served well in the second set, with 12 commanding holds and an inevitable tie break. Shelton held in the first game with a booming serve, and Alcaraz responded with a beautiful stop-volley winner in the next one.
Carlos came from 30-0 down in the fourth game and claimed four straight points to avoid issues. Ben reached deuce on the return in the sixth game before Carlos held with a powerful serve.The Spaniard had to work harder in his games, but the American failed to make an extra step and create break chances after the encounter’s first game.
Alcaraz fired another unreturned serve in game eight for 4-4, and they both served well in the remaining four to introduce a tie break. Shelton missed a routine forehand in the fourth point to fall behind and found himself 4-1 down after a costly double fault.
The American pulled one mini-break back in the sixth point with a volley winner before placing a poor return in the next one. Ben netted a forehand in the ninth point to find himself 6-3 behind, offering his rival three match points.
Carlos converted the first with a powerful serve to emerge at the top and advance into the third round.
