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Not for the primary time, Jim Courier has confirmed to be a harder problem for Carlos Alcaraz than the person standing on the opposite aspect of the web.
The Spanish star on Monday evening dispatched Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in only one hour, 49 minutes on Rod Laver Enviornment.
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The 20-year-old regarded unstoppable within the 6-4 6-4 6-0 victory that has arrange a quarter-final showdown with German Alexander Zverev.
His solely actual second of discomfort got here when American tennis nice Courier threw him some curve-balls within the post-match on-court interview.
Alcaraz spoke about his love for the game and his enjoyment in watching his friends earlier than a immediate from Courier left him squirming.
“I’m an enormous fan of tennis. Love to observe each match,” he mentioned.
“However I like to play Daniil (Medvedev), Novak (Djokovic), (Jannik) Sinner as properly. These guys. Each time they step on the court docket they put their greatest stage. These gamers are the most effective on the earth.”
Courier then requested in regards to the WTA Tour and if he had any favorite girls’s gamers. However the younger Spaniard was left stumped.
“WTA? I watch as properly. After I can I put my TV on,” he mentioned with a nervous-looking smile.
“If it’s WTA, ATP, no matter, I like to observe it.”
Alcaraz breezed by way of all his different press commitments after the match, talking about his confidence heading right into a match with Zverev.
The second seed — seen as the largest risk to defending champion Novak Djokovic — didn’t face a single break level towards Kecmanovic and left tennis commentators in awe.
“That is bananas,” Courier mentioned in commentary for Channel 9 when Alcaraz went 5-0 up within the third set.
Alcaraz, who selected to not play any aggressive tennis within the build-up to the primary Grand Slam of the yr, mentioned he “did the whole lot completely”.
Nonetheless, he mentioned after the match he should discover one other gear towards sixth seed Zverev, who gained their most up-to-date assembly on the ATP Finals to guide their head-to-head 4-3.
“He’s a extremely nice participant,” Alcaraz mentioned.
“He has overwhelmed nice guys right here on this event.
“Clearly I like enjoying towards him. It’s all the time powerful battles. I’ve to play my greatest stage. He pushes me to play 100 per cent each time.
“The final time we confronted one another, I misplaced so I’ve to be centered on that. I’ve to enhance my stage from that match.”
Zverev, who beat British nineteenth seed Cameron Norrie to progress, misplaced to Alcaraz within the quarter-finals of final yr’s US Open, however he performed down the parallels and mentioned he had gas within the tank, predicting a “very enjoyable, entertaining match”.
“I’m drained, for positive, as a result of I performed 7-6 within the fifth set once more two occasions out of the final three matches, however I’m not lifeless,” mentioned the 26-year-old German.
“I’m not utterly exhausted. I’m not in the identical bodily state I used to be within the US Open. I anticipate it to be very completely different, to be sincere.”
— With AFP
Initially revealed as Carlos Alcaraz squirms at Jim Courier query after massive Australian Open win
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