Marozsan's dream comes true, slays Alcaraz

Rome, May 15

Carlo Alcaraz’s 12-match winning streak came to an unexpected end when he was beaten by the 135th-ranked Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan 6-3 7-6(4) today in the third round of the Italian Open.

Alcaraz had won consecutive claycourt titles in Barcelona and Madrid and secured a return to the No. 1 ranking by winning the opening match of his Rome debut. But the 20-year-old Spaniard appeared surprised by how Marozsan dictated with spectacular play all over the court, including a series of drop shots that Alcaraz had no answer for.

“It was my dream last night. And now it’s true” Marozsan said. “I just try to do something special or winning a few games or maybe a set or something like this, and I just beat the world No. 1 — he’s our best in the sport.”

The result means that Alcaraz will go into the French Open — which starts in less than two weeks and where he will be the top seed — coming off a dispiriting defeat.

It was only the second loss on clay for Alcaraz this year after getting beaten by Cameron Norrie in the Rio de Janeiro final in February.

World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev earned a hard-fought 3-6 6-1 6-3 win over Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles to reach the last-16 in Rome for the first time.

Also, German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann defeated former French Open semifinalist Marco Cecchinato 6-4 4-6 6-3.

In the women’s section, Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine rallied past 2016 runner-up Madison Keys 2-6 6-2 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals and 22nd-seeded Zheng Quinwen beat fellow Chinese player Wang Xiyu 6-4 3-6 6-1 on the picturesque Pietrangeli court. Elena Rybakina saw off Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 6-3 to reach her first claycourt WTA 1000 quarterfinal. — Agencies