Carlos Alcaraz came close to achieving his personal record for the fewest games lost in a Grand Slam match with a commanding win over Yoshihito Nishioka on Wednesday at the Australian Open.
The Spaniard dropped only five games in a 6-0 6-1 6-4 triumph, which is one more than he allowed against J.J. Wolf last year at Roland Garros.
In an emphatic second-round performance, Alcaraz skillfully balanced power and finesse to dominate Nishioka, losing just four points in a rapid-fire opening set and winning the first nine games before Nishioka held serve for the first time.
Recognizing the disparity in skill during the match, Nishioka smiled after playfully encouraging Alcaraz’s ball to go long on game point, triggering the Margaret Court Arena spectators to erupt in cheers during this light-hearted moment while Nishioka celebrated by launching a ball into the air.
Interestingly, Alcaraz’s win extended his flawless record against left-handers at Grand Slams to 8-0 and completed the match in just one hour and 22 minutes, unleashing 14 aces and never facing a single break point, after facing four in his straight-sets victory against Alexander Shevchenko in the first round.
