‘Get off the court as quickly as possible’ – Mats Wilander urges Carlos Alcaraz to play fewer drop shots

Eurosport expert Mats Wilander believes Carlos Alcaraz needs to play fewer drop shots when he is in a commanding lead in a match so that he can get off the court more quickly.

The world No. 4 eventually took the third set to record a straight sets victory, but Wilander thinks the Spaniard needs to play fewer drop shots in crucial moments and focus on seeing the match out.

He told Barbara Schett: “When you look at him from the outside I think that is what it is [lack of concentration], but he says Coria was playing really well. It’s easier to play really well when you’re two sets to love and 4-1 down. You’re taking big risks.

“He throws in a drop shot here and there, sometimes they work sometimes they don’t. I just think at this stage in his career he needs to practice trying to get off the court as quickly as possible.

“Maybe play aggressive, but the drop shots to throw it in… I’m so afraid of people hitting too many drop shots.

“As you know it’s not necessarily a decision you make up here, it’s a decision you make with your arm sometimes and you think ‘oh my god why did I hit a drop shot?’.

“I don’t want him to completely stop because I love watching him play because of the drop shots so it’s a catch-22.”

Eurosport’s Alex Corretja believes Alcaraz should look to be more efficient in seeing matches out in the earlier rounds so that will not run out of energy in the latter stages of a Grand Slam.

“He was two sets up and 4-1 up. In my opinion I think he felt like ‘this is over already’. Coria relaxed himself. I believe for Alcaraz he suffers so much the other day [in the first round against Sebastian Baez] that I think today he thought it was finished.

“I think it was a good reaction from Alcaraz and I think it’s a lesson from him to learn that you cannot relax until you shake hands with your opponent.”

He continued: “He needs to just learn. When he is leading he likes to enjoy it. Sometimes you don’t need to enjoy it you just need to be practical, methodical and finish it off. At some point he will realise he does not need to make such a big change.

“Otherwise if now he will be here playing the fourth set he will regret it so much. Not because he would lose – it was very difficult to lose this match – but maybe in the quarters or the semis you will run out of the steam because of the effort you made in the second round that was unnecessary.

“[His coach] Juan Carlos Ferrero, knowing him very well, will go and talk and he will tell him “Next time you are 4-1 up, continue pushing please!”

Alcaraz plays Jenson Brooksby in the third round.

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