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Playing his first ATP Tour match in more than three months, Carlos Alcaraz made a winning start as he defeated Laslo Djere on Wednesday night at the Argentina Open.
Returning from recent abdominal and hamstring injuries, Alcaraz produced a stunning performance to register a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory against Laslo Djere in a match that lasted for two hours. Any initial jitters were allayed by a quick start, as the 19-year-old sped to a 3-1 lead. However, he was unable to prevail in a tumultuous second set that featured 15 total breakpoints, none of which were realised before Djere scored on his second set point. Any disappointment was short-lived because Alcaraz regained control right away after the interval. He didn't encounter a breakpoint in the decider, just like in the first set. Alcaraz mixed in a few drop shots and net approaches as he eased back into competition in a friendly setting, but he mostly dealt damage with strong baseline hits. Between sets, he was serenaded with a "Ole Carlos" chant by spectators, including Argentine legend Gabriela Sabatini, who had come to watch the Spaniard make his tournament debut. "It's a great feeling to win again. It's been a long time for me with no competition, with no matches, just recovering. Finally, I got my first win of 2023," Alcaraz said in a post-match presentation as quoted by ATP.com. "I'm really happy [in Buenos Aires]. I didn't expect such a great crowd, a great atmosphere behind me. So I just can say thank you to all the fans here in Buenos Aires for the warm welcome that I received in this first match and I hope to keep going with this energy," Alcaraz said. Alcaraz sustained a hamstring injury while preparing for the Australian Open, which came after an abdominal tear interrupted his 2022 season following the Rolex Paris Masters. During his absence, he allowed Novak Djokovic to overtake him at the top of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, but he is currently starting his ascent back to the top of the men's tennis world. (ANI)
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