INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Carlos Alcaraz started his bid for an Indian Wells three-peat with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Quentin Halys within the first spherical on Saturday.
Alcaraz is trying to be a part of tennis greats Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as the one gamers to have triumphed three successive occasions in “Tennis Paradise.”
“I could not wait to begin the event, to get right here once more,” Alcaraz stated on a sunsoaked Stadium One court docket after dispatching his French opponent.
“Outdoors my nation, that is my favourite event by far. It is a privilege.”
Alcaraz will play Canadian Denis Shapovalov within the third spherical.
Twelve months in the past, a swarm of bees on Stadium One court docket stung Alcaraz and suspended play for almost two hours throughout his quarterfinal.
Lance Davis of Killer Bee Dwell Elimination performed the hero that day, eradicating the bees from the court docket with out harming them and Alcaraz and Davis met on the web earlier than Saturday’s match the place they shook palms and shared fun.
American Taylor Fritz, who lifted the trophy right here three years in the past, struggled to shut out Italian Matteo Gigante however finally prevailed 6-3, 7-5 in entrance of a full home on Stadium Two court docket.
Fritz was unable to serve out the match at 5-4 within the second set however broke again within the subsequent recreation en path to the end.
The third seed stated he was being affected person with himself as he was coming off an belly damage he suffered proper after the Australian Open that saved him out of the event in Acapulco final month.
“There’s positively issues I may have completed higher within the match however general it was a fairly strong match,” he stated.
“I am unable to count on to return again and play excellent tennis. I have been injured, so I did not have very best prep coming into the event.”
Fritz will face Thirtieth-seeded Chilean Alejandro Tabilo for a spot within the spherical of 16.
Seventh seed Andrey Rublev was upset 6-4 7-5 by Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi whereas Britain’s Jack Draper beat Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca in different second spherical motion.
Reuters contributed to this story.