Carlos Alcaraz made some odd statements after losing to Jack Draper in Indian Wells in March, and it appears he learnt from the experience, as he defeated the Brit 6-4, 6-4 to get to the semi-finals of the Italian Open in Rome.
Alcaraz fought from 2-4 to win the first set Campo Centrale and squandered an early break lead in the second, but he came back to defeat Draper on a day when the Brit was not physically fit.
The win allowed Alcaraz to extend his winning record against Draper to 4-2, as he suggested his change of mindset was crucial to the win.
Alcaraz suggested he didn’t sleep before his last match against Draper and admitted he was more worried about his opponent’s game than his own in that match, but he appeared to have a different approach in their latest contest.
“The most important thing I did today was not thinking about the results at all, if I was up or if I was down,” said Alcaraz.
“I just tried to do the things that make me happy, playing aggressive, making drop shots to the net, things I like to do on the court. That made the difference today.
“I played with such high rhythm in the whole match, I didn’t let him dominate or stay long in the rallies. It was a really good weapon for me.
“I’m just playing great tennis on clay. I started the clay season really well. I got injured after Barcelona, but I’m happy to feel in a good rhythm playing good tennis again on clay. This match gave me a lot of confidence.”
While Alcaraz deserved his victory, it was clear that Draper was giving him real concerns once again as they met on a clay court for the first time.
French Open champion Alcaraz is a fearsome opponent for most of his rivals on this surface, but Draper can take a lot of confidence from the challenge he put up to the young Spaniard as their growing rivalry had another chapter added.
“It was an interesting match that ebbed and flowed without either team playing well at the same time. There was flashes of brilliance from both players,” former British No 1 Laura Robson told Sky Sports Tennis.
“Jack got a good start but lose a bit of intensity with his footwork. They tried to figure each other out but, in the big moments, it just felt like Carlos was the fresher.
“It was very close, the scoreline doesn’t tell the full story of the match, but it was a match where Jack will feel he maybe could have edged the key moments.”
Alcaraz’s victory meant that he will reach to No. 2 in the ATP Rankings next week, which might be significant because it will prevent him from facing Jannik Sinner prior to the French Open final, which begins later this month.
Draper’s defeat left him only behind Taylor Fritz in the battle for No. 4 in the ATP Rankings, with the Brit certain to overtake his American adversary if he continues his current form on the clay courts at Roland Garros.