Carlos Alcaraz’s 12-match winning streak came to an unexpected end when he was beaten by 135th-ranked Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the third round of the Italian Open on Monday.
Alcaraz had won consecutive clay-court 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.
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.
Making matters even more surprising was that this is the first time Marozsan is playing in the main draw of an ATP tournament — and the match took place before a full stadium on Campo Centrale.
Alcaraz established a 4-1 lead in the tiebreaker but then Marozsan won six straight points to close it out.
Late in the second set, Alcaraz started yelling “Vamos” every time he won a significant point. But Marozsan just kept coming, unleashing an 82 mph (132 kph) backhand winner up the line to conclude one point and winning several close exchanges at the net.
By the end, Marozan had compiled twice as many winners as Alcaraz, 24 to 12, and far fewer unforced errors, 13 to 24.
Marozsan will next face Borna Coric, who continued his solid form on clay by beating Roberto Carballes Baena 7-6 (3), 6-1.
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