By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday, February 4 2025
The bitter taste of defeat lingered in Carlos Alcaraz’s mouth for a while this summer. On a cool evening in Rotterdam, the Spaniard got hot and finally got rid of it.
Alcaraz toppled Botic van de Zandschulp, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-1 on his ABN Amro debut, avenging his loss to the Dutchman at the 2024 US Open and setting a second-round clash with either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Andrea Vavassori.
It wasn’t a simple victory but it was satisfying for the third-ranked and top-seeded Spaniard. He improved to 3-1 lifetime against the World No.84 and 5-1 on the young season.
Early on it looked like another upset might be brewing as the Dutchmen drew first blood and then led 5-3 in the opener. But with Van de Zandschulp serving for the opening set at 5-4, Alcaraz came to life and the Dutchman didn’t help his cause with a pair of double faults, the second coming on set point at 40-30. Alcaraz took the cue and won the next point to level the set.
His work wasn’t done yet but it soon would be. Alcaraz’s 12th forehand winner of the opening set took him to 5-1 at the change of ends in the first set tiebreak and moments later he had claimed a set in which he had twice trailed by a break.
“I think it was a lot of ups and downs in the match,” Alcaraz said. “Being down in the first set, being set point down in the first set. I think Botic played a really solid match.”
A few points later Alcaraz, now fully firing, outlasted Van de Zandschulp in a physical rally, forcing the error to lock up the set in 64 minutes.
Credit Van de Zandschulp, who refused to yield and eventually pushed past Alcaraz in a tight middle set. He saved a pair of break points and then took his opportunity to break and lead the Spaniard 4-2 – it was enough to clear the hurdle and force a decider.
But the Spaniard took the initiative in the third, breaking early and leading 3-0. The four-time major champion achieved liftoff in the third, and ran his lead to a double-break at 5-1 before serving out the victory in the next game.
Alcaraz improves to 3-1 lifetime against Van de Zandschulp – all four of their matches have been played on a hardcourt.