Alcaraz debuts against Munar in Rio in a Spanish duel

The young Murcian tennis player Carlos Alcaraz will face this Monday (23:00, Movistar) in the first round of the ATP 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro to another Spaniard, the Mallorcan Jaume Munar, who already left him without a final in the ATP 250 in Marbella in April 2021. Alcaraz, 18 years old and player number 29 in the world, will have 90 as his rival, a 24-year-old tennis player who has already surpassed the one from El Palmar in the only confrontation between the two so far on the professional circuit.

It was in the semifinals played on April 10, 2021 in Malaga, where the Balearic Islands won 7-6 (4) and 6-4 in 1 hour and 54 minutes. The clay of the Jockey Club Brasileiro will be the scene of the second duel between these players, and Alcarazwho appears at the top of the table, could face the Italian Matteo Berrettini in the quarterfinals, first seeded in Rio and who eliminated the Palma native in extremis in the third round of the recent Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the season .

Before, and always in the case of beating Munar, Alcaraz could meet Argentine Federico Delbonis in the second round. Alcaraz plans to play the doubles tournament in Brazil as well, partnering with Asturian Pablo Carreño, his friend and training partner at the Equelite JC Ferrero Sport Academy in Villena. This confrontation could be a good test bench for the Davis Cup tie that Spain will face against Romania in Marbella on March 4 and 5.

Taking advantage of his stay in Rio de Janeiro, Alcaraz has been visiting the city with members of his team and photographing himself at the foot of the very popular sculpture of Christ of Corcovado, as he has shown through social networks. The young tennis player, who this week has said he is “prepared to do great things” in this championship, he has not hidden, after describing the figure and his environment as “spectacular”, his intention to continue progressing in the campaign that has only just begun. “It’s a great tournament, to which great players come, and I hope to give the level of tennis that I have been showing and with confidence to be able to go far in it”, has manifested