Alcaraz here, talking about needing to “stay strong” and “wait for chances.” Could be one of those sayings they teach you early on, like a mantra or something. Anyway, Fils was on fire, you know, all like putting the pedal to the metal. I felt the heat, absolutely. But hey, even fiery people sometimes trip up, and when he did, I jumped on that.
Let’s talk about clay. Maybe it’s weird, but I’ve actually missed it. Seriously, there’s something about the clay, right? The drop shots, specifically. They just felt right, like putting on a pair of old, comfy shoes. Thankfully, those drop shots were making magic happen today; feels like a confidence booster.
But, let’s rewind. Fils came out swinging—3-0 up before I even got a second to think. Managed to claw back to 4-4 (phew), but then he slipped another one past me to nab the first set. When you’re hanging in by your fingernails, it’s those little moments. Those chances come and go like shadows, you know?
So there I was, Fils handing me gifts in the second set—not cashmere, but break points! Finally got my act together, snuck in a wicked lob, scored an ace, squared things up. Watching that ball arc through the air? Chef’s kiss! Then, the final set—man, loss of serve early on, but no point crying over spilt milk. Got him back, got him again. Fils clearly wasn’t having the best day, seeing him flatten his racket on clay, yikes. It was a mess, pure frustration.
Did Fils ever find his groove again? Nope, not a chance; he was all over the place emotionally. Me? Kept my head down, trudged through the mud, came out on top. Victory sweet, yet muddy. And who isn’t going to get hyped about trying for that Masters win again since Indian Wells?
Oh, quick side note. Musetti, our Italian stallion, pulled off something crazy—taking down Tsitsipas after losing the first set. Those rallies must have been something, huh? Saved a whopping 14 out of 17 break points. That’s nuts. He’s facing off against de Minaur now, who just zipped past Dimitrov with a double bagel. Match predictions, anyone? Gonna be fun to watch.
