Achi news desk-
Grigor Dimitrov and Carlos Alcaraz embrace after their fight in Miami (Credit: AFP)
Carlos Alcaraz, who won the Indian Wells title 11 days earlier and the Miami Open in 2022, was devastated by the loss. He was three wins away from becoming the first player to win the Sunshine Double since Roger Federer in 2017.
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz lost 6-2 6-4 in straight sets to Grigor Dimitrov on Thursday, ending his dreams of winning the Sunshine Double in stunning fashion.
In a match that lasted 92 minutes, Dimitrov, the 11th seed from Bulgaria, won 77% of the points on his first serve, saved four of his five break points, and broke the Spaniard four times. In comparison, Alcaraz could only win 56% of his first serve points.
Carlos Alcaraz, who won the Indian Wells title 11 days earlier and the Miami Open in 2022, was devastated by the loss. He was three wins away from becoming the first player to win the Sunshine Double since Roger Federer in 2017.
After Grigor Dimitrov, 32, ended his nine-match winning streak with one of his greatest performances in recent memory, the World No. 2 was ready to admit defeat by his opponent. Since defeating then third-ranked Roger Federer in the quarter-finals of the US Open in 2019, Dimitrov had not defeated a player in the top five of the ATP Rankings.
Speaking to the press following the loss, Carlos Alcaraz assessed his performance against the Bulgarians and expressed his frustration, albeit in a very calm and polite manner.
“He played amazing tennis, almost perfect, if I can say ‘perfect’. I mean, we can’t find answers. I couldn’t find a way to make him feel uncomfortable on the court. It was a great game from his team,” said the youngster.
“I have a lot of frustrations at the moment, because it made me feel like I was 13 years old (smiles). You know, it was crazy. I was talking to my team saying I don’t know what I have to do. I don’t know his weakness. I don’t know anything.”
Carlos Alcaraz claimed a better performance than he did in Shanghai the year before, when Grigor Dimitrov overcame a certain deficit to win 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 and record his first win over the Spaniard in four clashes by Lexus ATP Head2Head .
“I think I played good tennis. I mean, I left the court thinking that I probably had to change my game a little earlier, but anyway, I feel like I played good tennis. Not perfect but a good one…,” added Carlos Alcaraz.
“Honestly, in Shanghai, I didn’t play too well, I think I played better today than the second and third sets in Shanghai.”
Assuming Jannik Sinner lifts the trophy in Miami on Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz, who has a 15-4 match record through the first quarter of the season, will drop to number 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday. Significantly, his victory at the BNP Paribas Open earlier this month ended a title drought that began at Wimbledon in July last year.
The 20-year-old will now focus on the clay season, where he is expected to compete for the World No. 1 position against Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic, and Jannik Sinner. Carlos Alcaraz will next be seen competing in the Rolex Shanghai Masters, which starts on April 8 and is the third ATP Masters 1000 of the year.
