Match Preview
Alcaraz and Gauff go to the Forbidden Metropolis forward of Beijing
Spaniard previews ATP 500 occasion
September 25, 2024
China Open
Carlos Alcaraz visits the Forbidden Metropolis on Wednesday.
By Sam Jacot
Carlos Alcaraz is hoping to make good on his Laver Cup exploits this week when he competes on the China Open in Beijing. However earlier than the intense work on courtroom begins, the No. 3 within the PIF ATP Rankings took a while to discover the Chinese language capital with WTA star Coco Gauff.
The Spaniard and the American have been laughing all day as they visited the Forbidden Metropolis on Wednesday, wearing conventional costumes.
“It was an important expertise to be there,” Alcaraz mentioned in his pre-tournament press convention. “Final 12 months I could not go round a lot. For me it is nice to see the tradition right here in China, to see various things. There are [in the Forbidden City] was an important expertise for me. I’m very blissful to be again right here in Beijing.”
On courtroom, Alcaraz will probably be hoping his Laver Cup efficiency can assist him in his quest for additional glory through the Asian swing. The 21-year-old, who claimed victories over Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz to guide Staff Europe to victory over Staff World in Berlin, is the second seed on the ATP 500 occasion in Beijing.
“All of us went to the Laver Cup to attempt to win, to assist Staff Europe as a lot as potential to deliver the trophy again,” Alcaraz mentioned. “The final two years Staff World dominated the Laver Cup. For me it was an important achievement to assist Staff Europe deliver the cup again to Europe.
“It was an important match, an important expertise for me to reside facet by facet with the gamers that I am used to preventing towards all 12 months lengthy. That power from them whereas I am taking part in was an unbelievable expertise for me. I performed some nice, nice matches there within the Laver Cup, which helped me so much to have extra confidence to come back right here to this match.
“It is nice for my confidence and my stage to come back right here with further power, figuring out that I can get a superb end result right here, regardless that I do know I’ve a really tough draw.”
Alcaraz has received 15 tour titles in his distinguished profession however has struggled to seek out his finest within the latter levels of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The Spaniard has performed in simply three occasions since successful the 2022 US Open, however missed the Nitto ATP Finals as a result of harm. He went 7-5 from October to November final 12 months, together with his finest outcomes coming within the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals and in Beijing.
Having already certified for this 12 months’s Nitto ATP Finals, Alcaraz will probably be hoping to enhance his end-of-season report, beginning in Beijing, the place he’ll face Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard with a giant serve within the first spherical. He’s seeded to face Daniil Medvedev within the semi-finals and can take a 5-2 lead within the Lexus ATP Head2Head collection once they meet.