Defending champ Alcaraz triumphs over former ‘park pirate’ to reach Buenos Aires quarters

At 24 years old, the player transitioned to tennis after previously embodying a pirate during summer for his grandfather’s tourist business in Brazil.

Alcaraz, the Spanish sensation and defending champion, confidently won the first set, but the match intensified as Carabelli, hailing from Argentina and ranked 134th, fought back with an early break in the second set to take the lead.

Alcaraz quickly recovered the break and was poised to win the match at 5-3. Nonetheless, Carabelli mounted a comeback, overturning a match point and equalizing the set at 5-5.

Alcaraz managed to pull ahead 6-5, but it was in the final game of the set, during a tense exchange marked by numerous breaks of serve, that Carabelli’s resistance faltered, handing Alcaraz the win.

Reflecting on the match, Alcaraz acknowledged the challenge posed by Carabelli, praising his competitiveness and skill. He admitted to feeling the pressure, especially with the audience’s support for Carabelli, but expressed satisfaction with his performance on clay, his first since the French Open, and voiced his hope for improvement in the upcoming matches.

Alcaraz is set to compete against Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori, ranked 152nd, in the quarter-finals.

In another development at the tournament, Cameron Norrie, last year’s finalist and second seed, was eliminated by Argentine player Federico Coria in a match ending 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.