One made his debut today by winning and taking the third round of the Internationals, the other has been in Rome for just over 24 hours and will play his first match tomorrow. The spotlights of the Internationals turn on the challenge, for now at a distance, between Sinner and Alcaraz.
The South Tyrolean in the upper part of the draw, the Spanish in the lower one, with a possible crossing only in the final. May 21, however, is still a little away, which is why Jannik in the meantime concentrates on the present, who has brought in the Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis as his first opponent. The match lasts just over an hour and has practically no history, just think of the first set finished 6-1 for the blue, leaving just seven points to the opponent. "We prepared well - explained Sinner after the game -. Physically I'm fine. Then it is clear that there are tournaments where it takes more effort, while others, like this one, are special. I like Rome a lot and I am very happy to be here".
He doesn't indicate any objectives, but after having always made at least the semifinal in all the Masters 1000 in which he took part in the season, the expectation can only be high. "For me it's very important to gain as much experience as possible - he added - But every tournament I feel I can go far". The favourites, needless to say, the usual ones. "Djokovic, even when he's not at the top, cannot fail to be considered as such and Alcaraz: he proved it in Madrid". A tournament, the Spanish one, which cost Carlos his presence in Rome last year. Not this year, because the upgrade formula leaves players more time to rest and the Spaniard faces the Capitoline thousand for the first time. "I've only trained twice, I haven't visited the city yet, as soon as I can I'd like to do it - Alcaraz told the press conference -. For now I'm enjoying the fans and the club". Meanwhile, tomorrow, the debut with Albert Ramos, another Spaniard who takes him back in time because it represented the first victory in the ATP circuit. From that day he has come a long way, up to being number one in the world but his dream is to be "the greatest ever in tennis". And the path taken seems to be the right one. As well as what Fabio Fognini is carrying out in Rome, inflaming Pietrangeli in the challenge with Miomic Kecmanovic won in straight sets.
