Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon champion, made a strong start to his grass-court season, defeating Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 7-5 in the first round at Queen’s Club on Tuesday. The 21-year-old Spaniard, who recently won the French Open, extended his impressive grass-court winning streak to 13 matches. This streak dates back to last year’s Queen’s Club title, culminating in his Wimbledon triumph over Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz, currently ranked No. 2, has proven to be a formidable force on grass, boasting a 17-2 career record on the surface and a perfect 13-0 record against players ranked outside the top 20. Cerundolo, ranked No. 26, faced a tough opponent in the reigning champion.
Meanwhile, in Halle, Germany, new world No. 1 Jannik Sinner overcame a tough first set to secure a victory in the last 16 of the Halle ATP grass court tournament. Sinner, 22, rose to the top of the rankings following his semifinal finish at the French Open. His opponent, Tallon Griekspoor, ranked 27th, put up a strong fight, claiming the first set before Sinner rallied to win 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-2. Sinner’s victory, achieved two weeks before Wimbledon commences, sets him up for a clash with Hungarian Fabian Marozsan in the next round.
