Carlos Alcaraz brushed aside doubts and questions over his physical state after a 6-2 6-1 win over Alexander Shevchenko.
The defending champion was playing his first tournament since Miami after struggling with an arm injury.
It’s been a tough couple of weeks for Alcaraz who also missed the opportunity to defend his Barcelona title last week.
However the Spaniard responded in emphatic fashion as he only lost three games to Shevchenko as he sent a huge statement to the rest of the field.
Speaking after the win Alcaraz admitted the performance went much better than expected, “I think I did pretty well honestly,” Alcaraz told the ATP website.
“The last month I just practised slices, volleys and backhands, so I think it worked pretty well today. That was something I was thinking about approaching this match, trying to hit the forehand softer let’s say and trying to be aggressive with the backhand, trying to crash the net as soon as possible. I think I did a really good match in that part.”
The world number three also admitted that he is thinking about the injury but doesn’t think it will affect him too much.
Alcaraz is bidding for a third title in Madrid and is hoping he can remain competitive over the next week, “Not at all, but I’m thinking about it,” Alcaraz admitted.
“It’s not going to leave my mind I think… Coming into this week, I’ve been doing good things in practice, hitting harder, but I’m not feeling comfortable playing my forehand 100 per cent. But I think playing at this level, I’m really happy to do it. I think I can be competitive.”
Alcaraz will now play Thiago Seyboth Wild in the third round after the Brazilian defeated Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets.
