TORONTO – Andy Murray has said that he hopes world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz can follow his instincts and continue playing tennis with freedom and fearlessness, even if that approach appears a bit “kamikaze” at times.
The Scot predicted two years ago that the reigning US Open and Wimbledon champion was destined for success, and this week the former world No. 1 said there was more to the 20-year-old’s game than his power and technical ability.
“The thing that I love about watching him is the freedom that he plays with, and part of that is youth, I think. I just hope he doesn’t lose that,” Murray, 36, said on the ATP website during the Toronto Masters.
“Sometimes it looks a little bit kamikaze, but he just is totally instinctive. And I love that.”
The three-time Grand Slam champion also said he was convinced that Alcaraz would have a glittering career after a conversation with the Spaniard’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero when the youngster was still outside the world’s top 50.
Murray said he had asked Ferrero: “Does he love tennis? Does he work hard?”
He added that former world No. 1 Ferrero assured him that Alcaraz was “really good with that stuff”.
“That was enough for me, having seen his game and hearing from his coach and someone who knows what hard work is like that he was going to go on potentially to have a great career.”
Both Murray and Alcaraz are in action in Toronto this week as they gear up for the US Open, which begins on Aug 28.
Alcaraz began the build-up to his New York title defence with an untidy 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) win over Ben Shelton on Wednesday to move into the third round.
Seeing his first action since beating Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, the Spaniard took a moment to find his footing on the Canadian hard court.
But the outcome was never in doubt, stretching his match win streak to 13.
“I try to be focused on every match, I try not to think about the winning streak, just to keep going like I am doing,” he told the sold-out Toronto crowd.
“I always say the first match in every tournament is never easy. It’s even tougher playing against Ben, big bombs, big serves, big shots.
“It was trouble to get my good rhythm but I am pretty happy to get through and have another chance.”
Alcaraz was slow out of the blocks as he shook off some competitive rust fighting off three break points before holding serve in a tense eight-minute first game.
But the Spaniard, a perfect 10-0 in first-round contests in 2023, was soon in command, with Shelton helping his cause by double-faulting on break point in the fourth game to gift his opponent a 3-1 lead which was all he would need to clinch the opener.
In the second set tie-break, Alcaraz’s experience in the big moment came through. He reeled off four straight points after Shelton won the first, taking it to 7-3.
Next up for him is Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who was a 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 winner over Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic.
A pair of 36-year-old veterans, Murray being one of them alongside Frenchman Gael Monfils, rolled back the years and into the third round with contrasting wins.
Monfils upset fourth-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-3, while Murray, a three-time champion in Canada, battled past Australian Max Purcell 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 7-5.
Alexander Zverev, the 2017 champion, fell to Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-2. REUTERS, AFP
