Karatsev went into the 2nd round with almost an anti-record. Only Kafelnikov made more unforced on “RG”

Just a year ago, a pair of Karatsev-Munar would have been considered passing, now this match is the final of the first game day – the Australian Open has started! The almost five-hour thriller, I think, did not let go of anyone who stumbled upon a meeting – yesterday’s debutant from Russia flew to the graduate of the Rafa Nadal Academy Munar. So, full of hopes for the easiest first round for Karatsev, the fans clutched their heads – Aslan needs to defend the points of the AO-2021 semi-finals and the highest position (18th place) in the ATP. And with such a game, there was no certainty in this at all.

One only dragged the title of Sydney after the Hollywood season, the second did not get out of the shadow of partners Roberto Bautista-Aguta and Pablo Carreno Busta. But the Spaniard took the first set from Aslan in 30 minutes. It was then that the connoisseurs walking around the Melbourne Park complex realized that it simply wouldn’t be, and therefore pulled themselves up to a brand new court for five thousand seats.

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And they did not fail – in terms of intensity and highlights, the match surpassed the meetings between the favorites of the tournament Sasha Zverev and Rafa Nadal – they scored opponents in three games. These same fought five sets. And both showed an incredible will to win – 47 break-points for two, although only 16 were realized. Karatsev was the first to demonstrate this in the second game, when he lost the first set and conceded the second with two breaks. But having shot the ball into the sky and destroyed the racket, Aslan let off steam and went for a comeback: it turned out only on a tie-break (7:1). For the first time in a year, he really lost his temper and ceased to seem like an emotionless machine.

Haume Tower

Фото: Getty Images

Even then, mistakes began to creep up and even overlap the winning points in the statistics: every second blow of the Russian tennis player stumbled on the net or fell a millimeter from the line. A driving play and a biting finish from a forehand cross or backhand along the line was followed by a ridiculous breakdown of the smash, drive wall at the net or out along the length. At any moment, the enforcers could finally cut off the breath of the Winners.

What happened in the third set – the Spaniard pulled him out in the second tay. But the 24-year-old native of Mallorca, either due to lack of experience, or maybe lack of class, lost concentration – in the fourth installment he already had to run away from 0:3 and prove his character. As a result, he even equalized, but then Karatsev was helped by a cut-through reception with a short cross from the forehand right through. In each game, Aslan seemed to add a skill, finding a new antidote to his own many mistakes. Otherwise, he did not succeed in balancing so successfully.

Therefore, in the fifth installment, he again continued to go to the net and trodden this saving path to victory – the Russian pulled out 44 balls at the cable. In total, Aslan actively won 87 points and made 107 unforced, while the opponent has a modest 24 winners against 35 enforces.

Evgeny Kafelnikov

Фото: Getty Images

Karatsev was close to breaking the anti-record of compatriot Yevgeny Kafelnikov. The Russian top had 112 unforced errors in the match with Fernando Vicente (the current coach of Andrei Rublev) at Roland Garros 2000. Then the five-set thriller of the fourth round in France went to the account of the two-time owner of “TBSH” in PM. But then he also lost in five to the future champion Gustav Kuerten and did not confirm the 1996 title.

Another epic match to the point of errors took place already at the Australian Open with the participation of the first racket of the world Novak Djokovic. In the fourth round of the 2016 AO-16, the Serb collided with Gilles Simon, and the No. 15 French No. 15 nearly sent home that year’s Australian Cup winner. For four hours and 30 minutes, the Serb scored a hundred errors with 62 goals scored. And yet he won that match.

Novak Djokovic

Фото: Getty Images

Either Karatsev didn’t fully recover from a dizzying victory over Andy Marrem in Sydney on Saturday, or he didn’t expect to receive such a rebuff from the Spaniard. Or maybe it’s just not a day for the Russian player? After all, Aslan has a cool game, and this is not his first comeback in his career at a professional level. Perhaps the next return will give him additional self-confidence on the way to the title.

Karatsev, after a triumph in Sydney, withstood an almost 5-hour battle at the AO

And what to expect from Russian tennis players at the Australian Open? The battle with Rafa Nadal and the title of Daniil Medvedev.
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