Alcaraz gets French Open wake-up call

ROME — Carlos Alcaraz didn't see this one coming. How could he have?

About to reclaim the No 1 ranking, Alcaraz was pretty much pushed off the court at the Italian Open by 135th-ranked Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the third round on Monday.

Alcaraz suffered his earliest defeat since October.

He had won 30 of 32 matches this year and was on a 12-match winning streak on clay after consecutive titles in Barcelona and Madrid. He secured a return to the top spot next week by winning his opening match in Rome. But he was caught off guard by how Marozsan, 23, dictated with spectacular play all over the court, including drop shots that Alcaraz had no answer for.

"I just didn't feel comfortable. He made me feel uncomfortable on court," Alcaraz said. "He was aggressive all the time. He was playing inside the baseline all the time. It was tough for me to get into the match, into the rally. I made a lot of mistakes that I usually don't make too much."

The result means Alcaraz will go into the French Open — which starts in less than two weeks and where he will be the top seed — coming off a dispiriting defeat.

Making matters even more surprising was that this is the first time Marozsan is playing in the main draw of an ATP tournament.

"He surprised me a lot. His level was really, really high," Alcaraz said. "I'm sure he's going to break the top 100 very, very soon."

Marozsan posted his first victories over top-100 players in the first two rounds when he beat No 67 Corentin Moutet and No 32 Jiri Lehecka.

"Everything was perfect today: The crowd, the weather, the court," Marozsan said after stunning the packed stadium on Campo Centrale.

"I just try to do something special or winning a few games or maybe a set or something like this, and I just beat the world No 1 — he's our best in the sport."

Alcaraz led 4-1 in the tiebreaker but Marozsan won six straight points to close it out.

"It's amazing. I don't know what happened during the points," Marozsan said. "I just try to hit back every ball and try to do my best."

Late in the second set, Alcaraz tried firing himself up by yelling "Vamos" every time he won a significant point. But Marozsan just kept coming, unleashing an 82 mph (132 kph) backhand winner up the line to conclude one point and winning several close exchanges at the net.

By the end, Marozan had twice as many winners as Alcaraz, 24 to 12, and far fewer unforced errors, 13 to 24.

"I couldn't follow his level," Alcaraz said. "He was at the same level the whole match. That is very, very difficult. He deserves the win. If he plays at that level, he's going to surprise more than one (player)."

Marozsan will next face Borna Coric, who beat Roberto Carballes Baena 7-6 (3), 6-1.

Djokovic praise

World No 1 Novak Djokovic said Alcaraz is the man to beat on clay and is one of the top title contenders for the French Open.

Alcaraz has won back-to-back clay-court titles in Barcelona and Madrid after beginning an injury-hit season with the Buenos Aires crown. Despite his shock loss to Marozsan, he is poised to leapfrog Djokovic into top spot in the rankings after the Italian Open.

Rafa Nadal, a 14-time champion at Roland Garros, has been dealing with a hip injury he suffered at the Australian Open in January and fears are growing the Spaniard may miss the Paris Grand Slam.

Djokovic, 35, told reporters in Rome that Alcaraz was worthy of the No 1 ranking. "He has been playing some very impressive tennis, a great level. He's the player to beat on this surface, no doubt," he said.

"Of course, it depends on if Nadal is going to play in the French Open or not. But Alcaraz is one of the top favorites without any dilemma."

Djokovic, who skipped the American hard-court swing as he was unvaccinated for COVID-19, said he hoped to reignite his rivalry with US Open champion Alcaraz.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion, who was due to face Britain's Cameron Norrie in the fourth round in Rome, said he had overcome a right elbow problem that kept him out of Madrid.

"It's all good. There's always some things here and there that bother you at this level. It's normal," Djokovic said. "When you're not 25 anymore, I guess you experience that a bit more than what used to be the case."

Agencies via Xinhua