"Never played against someone like him; I almost broke my string" - Carlos Alcaraz calls Ben Shelton's hard hitting "crazy" after Canadian Open match
Carlos Alcaraz praised Ben Shelton for his hard-hitting game after defeating him in the second round of the Canadian Open in Toronto.
Playing his first match at this year's National Bank Open, Alcaraz overcame Shelton in straight sets to book his place in the next round. The Spaniard secured the opening set easily but his opponent put up a spirited fight in the second set.
Shelton hit five aces during the match to Alcaraz's four, but also committed four more unforced errors. This eventually proved to be too many as it allowed the World No. 1 to secure a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory.
During the post-match press conference, Alcaraz reflected on his performance and discussed his opponent's style of play, admitting that Shelton posed a stiff challenge.
"He's really, really tough. So he's a real aggressive one. He didn't let me play my game that is aggressive going to the net. So he did it almost every time. So he's really nice," said Alcaraz.
The Spaniard added that he struggled to get into his rhythm against Shelton.
"It was tough to get my rhythm. He hits the ball so, so strong. So I couldn't find my game, the good rhythm. For me, it's better to start a tournament with good rallies, long ones, to get into the match, get into the rallies. But usually every match is a different war, and you have to adapt your game into that."
He then praised the American for his hard-hitting game and said he looked forward to playing against him in the future.
"Honestly, I never played against someone that hit the ball as hard as he hit. It's something crazy... some serves at 235. Honestly, I almost broke my string. I mean, he's going to be over there a long time, I'm sure. We are going to play so many matches more. And really happy to get through and have another opportunity to be a little bit more better in the next round," said Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz will face Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in the pre-quarters.
Carlos Alcaraz leads the head-to-head against Hubert Hurkacz
Carlos Alcaraz has played against the big-serving Hubert Hurkacz only once so far - in the semifinal at the Miami Open last year. The match ended in a 7-6 (5), 7-6(2) victory for the Spaniard, giving him a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head.
Hurkacz hit a staggering 13 aces during the match and won 81 percent of the points on his serve. Alcaraz, however, bettered his opponent in winning points on the second serve, with a success rate of 70 percent against the Pole's 45.
Seeded 15th at this year's Canadian Open, Hurkacz defeated Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round. After losing the opening set, the Pole dominated the next two sets comprehensively and secured the match 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 to set up the clash against Alcaraz.