Archive of posts tagged Tallon

Alcaraz Denies Dzumhur in Cincinnati Adventure

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By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, August 10, 2025
Photo credit: Cincinnati Open Facebook

A month after Jannik Sinner dethroned Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, the world No. 2 renewed his rivalry with the top-ranked Italian driving the ball deep on an Ohio golf course.

Today, Alcaraz launched his Cincinnati return teeing off in the opening set before hitting himself into deep rough.

Ultimately, Alcaraz used every club in his bag to defeat Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 in his Cincinnati Open opener. 

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tennis express pro player gear

In his first match since losing to Sinner 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the Wimbledon final, Alcaraz showed little rust in the first set, fell into a sloppy hole in the second set then broke twice in the decider to deter a tough Dzumhur.

This was Alcaraz’s first hard-court match since his surprising three-set loss to David Goffin in his Miami Open opener.

Alcaraz converted five of 10 break points vs. the 5’9” Dzumhur, but didn’t save any of the three break points he faced, littered 44 unforced errors and suffered some concentration lapses. Alcaraz netted a few drop shots, built a 4-1 lead in the final set only to double fault and muff a serve and volley to hand the break back in the seventh game. Credit a tough Dzumhur, who took a set off two-time Roland Garros champion Alcaraz in Paris this year, for fighting all the way through.

Still, despite his mis-steps, Alcaraz drilled a deep forehand return then exploited his opponent’s lone double fault of the day to break back for 5-3.

Serving for the third round, Alcaraz unleashed a 131 mph blast and closed in one hour, 41 minutes.

After the hand shake, Alcaraz trotted back on the court and erupted in a “Vamos! Vamos!” scream expressing both excitement and relief. 

The reigning Roland Garros champion scored his ATP-best 49th win of the season setting up a third-round clash with either Hamad Medjedovic or Tallon Griekspoor. 

Alcaraz grew up looking up to tennis heroes Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

In the opening set, the Spaniard paid tribute to seven-time Cincinnati champion Federer featuring the Swiss Maestro’s famed SABR attack. Alcaraz ran down a challenging drop shot to earn set point in the seventh game.

Then the explosive Alcaraz recalled SABR taking a full sprint up to a second-serve return successfully forcing the error to score his third break and seize a one-set lead after just 29 minutes of play.

Though Alcaraz was in free flow through the first set he crashed in the second.

The five-time Grand Slam champion coughed up 17 unforced errors in the second set  infusing Dzumhur with confidence and aggression.

In a sloppy fourth game, Alcaraz botched a volley, netted a forehand then ballooned a forehand drive well long gifting Dzumhur the break and a 2-1 lead. 

The 33-year-old Bosnian ran off 12 of 13 points in one stretch wrapping a pair of love holds around that break for a 3-1 lead.

Struggling to win points off his second serve, Alcaraz pushed a routine volley long as Dzumhur scored his second straight break for 4-1.

Pumping his fist to his box, the world No. 56 backed up the break for 5-1. Alcaraz made successive return errors—his 16th and 17th of the set—as Dzumhur seized the second set to force a decider.

Alcaraz breezed through a love hold for a 2-1 lead in the decider. Then the pair produced a highlight reel game. 

The speedy Alcaraz ran down a drop shot, dabbed a stretch volley then turned with his back to net sprinted back to the baseline and clubbed a tomahawk forehand pass extending the fourth game to deuce. Drilling a diagonal forehand gave Alcaraz the break and a 3-1 lead.

Dabbing a drop shot, Alcaraz extended the lead to 4-1 and seemed to be in total command.

But a defiant Dzumhur kept battling and Alcaraz betrayed his cause with some wayward shotmaking as the grew tighter again.

The Dzumhur double fault on break point gave Alcaraz a crucial 5-3 lead and he took care of business in the final game. An adventurous up and down win that sends the Spaniard into round three.

Alcaraz to Lead Spanish Davis Cup Squad

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By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, August 8, 2025
Photo credit: Angel Martinez/Getty for ITF

Reigning Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz aims to restore the roar to the Spanish Davis Cup team.

Captain David Ferrer has named Alcaraz, Washington, DC finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martinez to the Spanish squad that will host Denmark in the Davis Cup second round qualifier set for September 13-14th at the Puente Romano Tennis Club in Marbella, Spain.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

“I am very happy with the commitment that the players have made and with the enthusiasm that the team has to be able to overcome Denmark, which we already know is going to be a tough with Holger Rune,” Ferrer said. “But we are going to face it in the best way.

“Alejandro has been very consistent, he is in the Top 20 of the race and Carlos comes from winning Roland Garros and making the finals of Wimbledon, so I am very excited that they can be with us.”

The tie will be contested on outdoor red clay in Marbella.

World No. 2 Alcaraz, who owns a 3-0 Davis Cup singles record, will make his first appearance since he defeated Tallon Griekspoor 7-6, 6-3 in the 2024 quarterfinals last November.

The 22-year-old Spaniard is riding a streak of 13 straight clay-court victories, capturing successive clay championships at Roland Garros and Rome. Alcaraz’s last clay-court loss came to Danish star Holger Rune 7-6(6), 6-2 in the Barcelona final in April.