Carlos Alcaraz defeats Nuno Borges at Barcelona Open to progress to Last-16, Dominic Thiem gets walkover

Carlos Alcaraz claimed a 6-3 6-1 win over Nuno Borges at the Barcelona Open on Tuesday afternoon, while Dominic Thiem had a walkover against Constant Lestienne in Munich.

The 19-year-old Alcaraz is now through to the Last-16 in his home country, and it offers him the chance to defend a title for the first time on the professional circuit, after emerging as one of the finest young talents in the sport in 2022.

His opponent was No. 79-ranked Portuguese player Borges, at 26-years-old much more experienced but clearly the underdog in the tie in Catalonia. Before the tie, Borges had said he recognised his fellow Iberian’s power three years ago, and he struggled here with the teenager’s efforts.

Alcaraz needed just over an hour to move through to progress and he was in ruthless form as he converted five of the seven break points offered up to him.

“I feel great. Playing here in Barcelona, [my] first match on clay since Rio [in February],” said Alcaraz after his win. “I feel great. Moving well, hitting the ball really well so I feel a lot of confidence playing here in Barcelona. It’s a really special place for me.”

On the Pista Rafa Nadal, Alcaraz swiftly moved 5-1 ahead as he looked to banish memories of his last match, a Miami Open semi-final defeat against growing rival Jannik Sinner. While Borges broke back to hold off the inevitable in the first set, he could not resist the Spaniard in the second.

Alcaraz has tour wins in Buenos Aires and at Indian Wells already, and will hope to make it a hat-trick ahead of Europe’s first Grand Slam at Roland-Garros in Paris.

Meanwhile Thiem moved into the second round of the BMW Open in Munich.

The Austrian, a former world No. 3, had taken the first set 6-3 and was serving for the first game of the second set when his opponent, France’s Constant Lestienne, retired with injury.

“It was a surprising end, not the way I wanted,” Thiem said after the win. “But it’s okay and on to the next one.”

Thiem’s last appearance in Munich came in 2016, when he reached the final, and is aiming to win his first title since his 2020 US Open triumph after a difficult few years.

Thiem will play Marc-Andrea Huesler in the second round, who beat Kyle Edmund 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3.

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