Carlos Alcaraz continued his smooth sailing through the Vienna Open with a straight sets victory against Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.
Alcaraz is yet to drop a set at the tournament, in which he was given a wildcard, although he has needed a tie-break in every round so far.
The Spaniard has defeated Karen Khachanov, Nikoloz Basilashvili, and now Paul, and he will next face Daniil Medvedev for a place in the semifinals.
Alcaraz has said he needs to improve his game as he continues to try and find his best level after returning to tennis after four and a half months out.
Now, the Spaniard has pinpointed exactly what he wants to improve.
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“Sometimes it’s complicated for me. Tennis is about making split-second decisions, that’s what makes this sport so difficult,” he said in his Vienna Open press conference after beating Paul.
“Sometimes that’s hard for me; I struggle to decide the best shot in certain situations. Sometimes it comes naturally, I don’t even think about it, and other times I go with the worst option. I think I could hit three, four, or five shots in a specific situation… and I choose the worst one.
“I’m trying to improve on that. I always have a specific plan in mind for the first two or three balls. After that, I let my instincts take over and see how the match unfolds, although sometimes that’s tricky. As for patience, I’d say it hasn’t been my strongest skill yet.”
Alcaraz’s recent comments will be a worry for his legion of fans, who love the Spaniard due to his off-the-cuff nature on a tennis court.
The star has become the most entertaining player in the men’s game because no one, not even his opponents, know what he is going to do next.
While Alcaraz does need to improve his game, his eccentricities and experimental nature is two of the biggest factors in why he has been able to claim seven Grand Slam titles at such a young age.
There is a balance that Alcaraz needs to find, but he absolutely has to feel freedom when he steps out onto a tennis court. This is the line his coach, Samuel Lopez, needs to tread as they try and get him to return to the top of the ATP Tour rankings.
Following his appearance at the Vienna Open, Alcaraz will head to the Paris Masters, the final Masters tournament on the ATP Tour. It is an event he is yet to win in his career.
