Carlos Alcaraz left astonished as he faced an unexpected defeat against the Hungarian qualifier, Fabian Marozsan, during the Italian Open
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- 17 May 2023
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Carlos Alcaraz was left stunned by a remarkable upset at the Italian Open, where he faced off against Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan. Alcaraz, the Spaniard set to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking on May 22 from Novak Djokovic, experienced his earliest exit from a tournament since October. This loss comes just two weeks before he takes on the French Open in Paris as the top seed.
Heading into the Rome tournament, the 20-year-old Alcaraz boasted an impressive record, with consecutive clay-court victories in Barcelona and Madrid. He had won 30 out of 32 matches this year and had been on a 12-match winning streak on clay. However, 23-year-old Marozsan, who had never competed in the main draw of an ATP event until this week, displayed exceptional performance, striking 24 winners while committing only 13 unforced errors.
Alcaraz admitted feeling uncomfortable during the match, citing Marozsan's aggressive playstyle and his ability to constantly pressure him by staying inside the baseline. Alcaraz made uncharacteristic mistakes and acknowledged his opponent's remarkable level of play. He also predicted that Marozsan would soon break into the top 100 rankings.
Marozsan, who secured his first victories against top-100 players in the first two rounds, defeating Corentin Moutet (ranked 67th) and Jiri Lehecka (ranked 32nd), expressed his delight in his post-match interview. He praised the perfect conditions and credited his surprising win to his determination to deliver something exceptional. He celebrated his triumph over the current world No. 1 and regarded him as the best in the sport.
In a thrilling tiebreaker, Alcaraz initially took a 4-1 lead, but Marozsan staged a remarkable comeback by winning six consecutive points to seal the victory. Marozsan's performance left him astounded, highlighting his determination to return every ball and give his best effort.
Marozsan's next challenge will be Borna Coric, who defeated Roberto Carballes Baena 7-6, 6-1. Meanwhile, Andrey Rublev, the reigning champion of the Monte Carlo Masters, secured a win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina with a score of 7-6, 6-3. Rublev will face German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, who triumphed over former French Open semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato in a hard-fought match that ended 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Daniil Medvedev, who had previously struggled in Rome, finally clinched a victory by defeating Bernabe Zapata Miralles 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Medvedev expressed his confidence in his current form, declaring that he is playing his best tennis on clay.
In the women's competition, Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina advanced to the quarter-finals after a convincing 6-3, 6-3 win over 2019 French Open finalist Marketa Vondrousova. Rybakina's next opponent will be either two-time defending Rome champion Iga Swiatek or Donna Vekic.
Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina secured a hard-fought victory over Madison Keys, the runner-up in 2016, with a final score of 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. Other winners in the women's category included Veronika Kudermetova, Zheng Quinwen, and Beatriz Haddad Maia.
