Carlos Alcaraz battles past lucky loser Adam Walton to advance at Queen's Club
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning his round of 32 match against Australia's Adam Walton. PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON - Top seed Carlos Alcaraz got his grasscourt campaign up and running with a 6-4 7-6(4) victory over Australian Adam Walton to move into the last 16 at the Queen's Club Championships on June 17.
Playing in his first match since his epic five and a half hour French Open final victory over world number one Jannik Sinner nine days ago, Alcaraz was tested by Walton who had set points in the second set before the Spaniard recovered and won the tiebreak.
Alcaraz was meant to play compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina but the Spaniard withdrew due to illness, giving lucky loser Walton the chance to play the French Open champion as he warmed up for his Wimbledon title defence.
'I realised that I was going to play against Adam after my warm-up... He has played a few matches already before this one. I think he played really great tennis,' said Alcaraz, the champion at Queen's Club in 2023.
'It surprised me a little bit. So I knew that I was going to struggle a little bit today, but just really happy to get the win.
'I feel super happy to be back on grass. It is a special surface, a special place to me.'
Walton is ranked number 86 in the world and the Australian did not seem overawed by the occasion as he showcased some attacking tennis to hold serve until Alcaraz finally got to grips with the surface and broke to take a 4-3 lead.
Alcaraz used serve and volley to good effect, showing finesse with some exquisite drop shots while he was also virtually unstoppable on serve, sealing the opening set with an ace.
But Walton held serve well in the second set and nearly broke Alcaraz with his first break points -- which were also set points -- when he was 5-4 up but the Spaniard held on.
Once he forced a tiebreak, there was no looking back as Alcaraz wrapped up the contest.
Draper advances, Fritz out
French qualifier Corentin Moutet pulled off the biggest win of his career, saving a match point to stun American third seed Taylor Fritz 6-7(5) 7-6(7) 7-5 in a marathon battle.
The 26-year-old, who earned just his second career victory over a Top-10 opponent, will face Britain's Jacob Fearnley in the last 16.
Second seed Jack Draper warmed up the home crowd when he claimed an impressive 6-3 6-1 victory over American Jenson Brooksby for his first win on grass this season.
Draper had beaten defending champion Alcaraz in the second round in 2024 and the Briton is hoping to improve on his quarter-final run.
'It's tricky coming onto the grass after clay, to adapt, I'm hitting the ball a bit late, not on time,' Draper said.
'The more matches and time I have on practice courts, I'll get better and better. It's definitely a surface I really enjoy playing on.'
Australia's fifth seed Alex de Minaur bowed out of the tournament after a 6-4 6-2 loss to Jiri Lehecka, while Alexei Popyrin beat Aleksandar Vukic 6-2 6-7(9) 7-6(3) in an all-Australian battle.
American sixth seed Ben Shelton, who had reached the semi-finals in Stuttgart last week, was also knocked out in a 7-6(5) 7-6(4) loss to French qualifier Arthur Rinderknech. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
12 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Nelly Korda suffers neck spasm, but will be ready for Women's PGA
Nelly Korda during the final round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic earlier in June 2025. PHOTO: AFP FRISCO – World No. 1 Nelly Korda attended a press conference on June 17 ahead of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship with therapeutic tape on her neck. The American explained that she suffered a spasm the day before during practice at PGA Frisco, the site of this week's Major championship. 'I hit a shot out of the rough yesterday (Monday), and my neck went into a full spasm,' she said. 'It's getting better, but yeah, it was not very good yesterday.' Korda – the betting favourite to win this week despite a winless start to her season – added that she expects to be ready for her first-round tee time on June 19. The injury nonetheless comes at a tough time for the 26-year-old, whose last win on the LPGA Tour came in November. She tied for second at the US Women's Open earlier in June. Korda cited a neck injury for missing a pair of tournaments on the Asia swing late in the 2024 season. She also sat out a chunk of the 2022 season due to a blood clot in her arm. 'Obviously with the injury that I had last year, every single time something kind of flares up in my neck now, I think I feel it a little bit more than what I used to,' she said. 'But I have a great physio who takes care of me. Trying to work through it, but I'll be ready by Thursday.' She also said the heat in Texas this week will be a potential complicating factor as she tries to gameplan how to 'be smart' and take care of her body while going out and competing. Korda won the first of her two Major titles at the 2021 Women's PGA in Atlanta. That earned her a lifetime invite to the champions' dinner, but she had to pass on the tradition on June 16 evening while getting treatment for her neck. 'I didn't go because of my neck. I was so sad to miss it, though,' she said. 'I messaged (defending champion Amy Yang of South Korea); the menu looked unbelievable. I love Korean food. So I was really jealous. 'At the end of the day, I need to prioritise my body. So I wasn't able to go, but I missed out on a good dinner.' Meanwhile in men's golf, fellow top-ranked Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion this week at the Travelers Championship, where he defeated Tom Kim in a playoff last season. He is coming off a T7 finish at the US Open at Oakmont Country Club last weekend and has won three of his last five events, including the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Scheffler needs no more reminders that his caddie, Ted Scott, was on Bubba Watson's bag when Watson won the Travelers Championship three times – in 2010, 2015 and 2018. He said Scott has helped him to put the signature event's 6,844-yard, par-70 layout in perspective. 'What we talk about on that golf course is I think there's a stigma around it that you have to make a ton of birdies, but it's really about getting the most looks,' the American said. 'There's certain holes where you have to play really conservative and play to the middle of the green and just get as many looks for birdie as possible. 'The Travelers is a great golf course in the sense you get very rewarded for good shots. If you start hitting offline, you can be punished pretty severely. The closing stretch enhances that, and that's why you have such great finishes there year after year.' Scheffler shot 65-64-64-65 to finish 22 under par in 2024, then bested Kim on the first playoff hole with a par at the 18th. REUTERS, AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Sacking Postecoglou was 'emotionally difficult' but needed, says Tottenham chairman Levy
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Women's Super League - Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - December 16, 2023 Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou of the men's team and chairman Daniel Levy watch the match Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley/File Photo REUTERS Sacking coach Ange Postecoglou soon after he delivered Tottenham Hotspur's first major trophy in 17 years was "emotionally difficult", but the club needed a change after a poor Premier League season, chairman Daniel Levy said. Postecoglou was dismissed earlier this month, just over two weeks after leading Tottenham to a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final, securing the club's first silverware since 2008 and earning them a place in next season's Champions League. Levy noted that while the decision divided supporters, the Australian manager ultimately paid the price for a dreadful league campaign that saw his side finish 17th in the table - their worst finish since they were relegated in the 1976-77 campaign. "I don't regret appointing Ange, I'm very grateful to Ange. In his first season we finished fifth and in his second we were over the moon to win a trophy," Levy said in an interview released by the club on Tuesday. "But we need to compete in all competitions, and we felt that we needed a change. Emotionally it was difficult but we feel that we've made the right decision for the club. Tottenham last week named former Brentford boss Thomas Frank as their fifth full-time manager in six years and the 13th since Levy became chairman over 25 years ago. "Failure is not an option, the desire (is) to succeed. And because it's so difficult, I want to succeed even more," Levy added. "Whenever you have a new coach, it's always a fresh start. (There are) always different ideas but we want to build on the success of winning a trophy last season. "One of the things that stood out to me with Thomas was that he is clearly highly intelligent, a great communicator, super human being plus all the technical aspects which are obviously important." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
River Plate see off Urawa to make winning start at Club World Cup
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group E - River Plate v Urawa Red Diamonds - Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington, U.S. - June 17, 2025 River Plate's Facundo Colidio celebrates scoring their first goal with River Plate's Marcos Acuna, River Plate's Sebastian Driussi and River Plate's Enzo Perez IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Stephen Brashear REUTERS Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group E - River Plate v Urawa Red Diamonds - Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington, U.S. - June 17, 2025 River Plate's Facundo Colidio and Paulo Diaz celebrate after the match REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group E - River Plate v Urawa Red Diamonds - Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington, U.S. - June 17, 2025 River Plate's Facundo Colidio celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian River Plate see off Urawa to make winning start at Club World Cup SEATTLE, WA - River Plate opened their Club World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday, with goals from Facundo Colidio, Sebastian Driussi and Maxi Meza enough to see off a spirited challenge from the Japanese side. The Argentine team got off to a dominant start and opened the scoring after 12 minutes when Colidio headed home a fine cross from Marcos Acuna on the left. Driussi doubled the lead three minutes into the second half, capitalising on a poor header back from Marius Hoibraten to head the ball over the advancing goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa and into an empty net. Striker Driussi was forced off soon after, having picked up an injury in the build up, and Urawa pulled one back in the 58th minute through Yusuke Matsuo, who calmly converted a penalty following a foul by Acuna. While Urawa pushed hard for an equaliser, substitute Meza delivered the decisive blow in the 73rd minute, with yet another header from Acuna's corner, his second assist of the match. River will face Mexico's Monterrey on Saturday, while Urawa take on Champions League runners-up Inter Milan in Group E. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
