Carlos Alcaraz made his 2023 debut on Wednesday night at the Argentina Open, one month later than initially planned due to a leg injury that forced him out of the Australian summer. Alcaraz opened in victorious fashion, although it wasn’t easy against Laslo Djere during second-round action in Buenos Aires. The 19-year-old held off Djere 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 after one hour and 59 minutes to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
Alcaraz struck four aces without double-faulting a single time and he was broken only once.
“It’s a great feeling to win again,” Alcaraz assured. “It’s been a long time for me with no competition, with no matches, just recovering. Finally I got my first win of 2023.
“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.”
The reigning U.S. Open will go up against Dusan Lajovic on Friday. Lajovic has advanced with victories over Argentines Sebastian Baez and Camilo Ugo Carabelli. Baez was making a quick turnaround after winning last week’s ATP 250 in Cordoba.
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.