Botic van de Zandschulp didn’t go that far from defeating Carlos Alcaraz. The Dutch player had already shocked the whole world in the summer of 2024, eliminating the Spanish champion in the second round of the US Open after playing a near-perfect match on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Dutchman and the Spaniard faced each other in Rotterdam yesterday and it was another really intense battle, in which the 21-year-old from Murcia once again showed that he suffers from Botic’s game for several reasons.
Van de Zandschulp on Alcaraz
The 4-time Grand Slam champion prevailed in three sets and reached the next round in this prestigious ATP 500, but the local idol deserves nothing but applause for his performance.
“The truth is that Carlos used his serve very well in the decisive moments and prevented me from converting several break points. I had a chance at the beginning of the third set, but I couldn’t take advantage of it and the inertia shifted to his side,” Botic explained in his press conference.
“He played some incredible points in the important moments and I have no big regrets. Maybe I should have won the first set, but let’s not forget that Alcaraz is number 3 in the world and has already won four Majors, so it’s never easy to close a set against him,” he added.
The Dutch ace twice had a break lead in the first set, but the former world No.1 raised the bar when he needed it and made the difference in the tiebreak with some truly spectacular shots.
“I think Carlitos has the best forehand on the whole tour and this detail made the difference,” confided van de Zandschulp, who confirmed that he has a game that annoys the Spanish ace.
“You should ask him what makes him in trouble in my game, he would be able to answer better than me. I’m very solid from the baseline and maybe that bothers him” – he concluded.
The 21-year-old from Murcia will be back in action against Andrea Vavassori tomorrow.
Tennis World USA