Alcaraz beats Khachanov 6-4, 7-6(5) in Vienna and reaches second round

Carlos Alcaraz opened his Vienna tournament on Tuesday, 27 October, by beating Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-6(5) in his debut at the event. The world No. 3 and seven-time Grand Slam champion needed two hours and four minutes in front of a sold-out Wiener Stadthalle of 9,800 spectators. He advances to the second round, where he will face the winner of Jurij Rodionov against Nikoloz Basilashvili on Thursday, 29 October.

A slow start and a break back

Khachanov broke for 2-2 in the first set after Alcaraz had struggled to hold serve early in the match. Alcaraz answered in the very next game, recovering from 40-0 down to break back and level the set at 3-3. Khachanov's first serve was strong for much of the early set, but Alcaraz lifted the height of his shots and used his returns to take control of the rallies. He broke again in the tenth game and served out the first set 6-4.

A second set that went to a tie-break

The second set was tighter and more demanding for both players. Alcaraz almost tripled Khachanov's winners in that set, 22 to 8, and kept the pressure on from the baseline and at the net. At 5-4, with Khachanov serving, the Russian saved three match points before losing serve. The set then went to a tie-break, which swung back and forth on errors until Alcaraz was serving to close it out. He finished the match after two hours and four minutes, with 36 winners and 29 errors across the match, while Khachanov managed only 11 winners.

After the match, Alcaraz reflected on the closing games of the second set.

“I was playing very well. It was simply that game. I think I could have played those match points a bit better.”

He added that he had played too fast on a couple of those points.

Winners36

Errors29

Winners

36 count

Errors

29 count

Data from the article text

Coming into Vienna

Alcaraz had been eliminated in the third round of the Shanghai Masters 1000 by Zizou Bergs, and the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia was postponed, leaving a gap of about three weeks before the Paris tournament. Vienna had just lost Jannik Sinner as its headline seed, and it opened the door to Alcaraz with an invitation that he accepted. He is returning from five months out with an injury, and on Monday, 26 October, he acknowledged that he needs matches to reach his best level.

“I need competition, tournaments and match rhythm to get back to my best level.”

He added that he felt content with his form and level but was not yet where he wanted to be. He last played in Vienna in 2021, at 18 years old and ranked 42nd, when he reached the semifinals and lost to Alexander Zverev.

What comes next

Alcaraz will play on Thursday, 29 October, against the winner of Jurij Rodionov, Austria's Davis Cup player, and Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili. Beyond Vienna, his calendar includes the Paris Masters, the Davis Cup and the ATP Finals in Turin. El Periódico names Tommy Paul, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev among the names on the draw ahead, presenting them as a test of his form at the end of the year. Inconsistency and too many errors are the areas to fix in the next rounds, according to El Periódico.