Daijiworld Media Network – London
London, Jun 17: Top seed Carlos Alcaraz began his grasscourt campaign with a hard-fought 6-4, 7-6 victory over Australian Adam Walton to reach the last 16 at the Queen’s Club Championships on Tuesday. The match marked Alcaraz’s first outing since his marathon French Open final win over world No. 1 Jannik Sinner nine days ago.
Originally scheduled to face compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Alcaraz ended up playing lucky loser Walton, who stepped in after Fokina withdrew due to illness.
"I realised that I was going to play Adam after my warm-up... He surprised me with the level he brought. I knew it was going to be tough,” said the 2023 Queen’s Club champion.
Ranked World No. 86, Walton kept pace in the first set, holding serve until Alcaraz broke to go up 4-3. The Spaniard impressed with sharp serve-and-volley tactics and drop shots, sealing the first set with an ace.
Walton pushed back strongly in the second set, even earning set points at 5-4, but Alcaraz held firm and then dominated the tiebreak to close the match.
“I feel super happy to be back on grass. It’s a special surface, a special place to me,” Alcaraz added, as he builds momentum toward his Wimbledon title defence.
Draper thrills home crowd
Earlier in the day, British No. 2 and second seed Jack Draper notched a confident 6-3, 6-1 win over American Jenson Brooksby, marking his first grasscourt victory of the season.
“It’s tricky coming onto the grass after clay... I’m hitting a bit late,” Draper admitted. “But I love this surface and I’ll get better with more match time.”
Other results:
• Jiri Lehecka stunned fifth seed Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-2.
• In an all-Australian clash, Alexei Popyrin edged Aleksandar Vukic 6-2, 6-7, 7-6.
• French qualifier Arthur Rinderknech upset sixth seed Ben Shelton 7-6, 7-6.
With several seeds already falling, the Queen’s Club tournament is shaping up for an exciting week on the road to Wimbledon.