“Paris Tournament”: Alcarras defeats Michelsen and qualifies for the third round

Carlos Alcarras needed some time to get into the atmosphere of his first match in the Paris Championship, but the Spanish player regained his rhythm to begin his efforts towards winning the title in this tournament, which falls within the thousand points category of the Association of Tennis Professionals, and which he seeks to win a title for the first time in his career.

Alkaras overcame his faltering start to defeat his American opponent, Alex Michelsen, with a score of 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, and qualified for the third round. After wasting an early lead by breaking his opponent's serve in the first set, Alcarras found himself trailing 1-4 in the tiebreak, but he succeeded in collecting six consecutive points to decide the set in his favor. In the second set, the Spaniard was able to break his opponent's serve in a decisive game at 4-3, ultimately deciding the match after an hour and 41 minutes of play.

In the next round, Alcarras, who won 28 titles in his professional career, will face Italian player Matteo Berrettini.

Berrettini had qualified after his earlier victory over Frenchman Ugo Hombre, whom the local fans had high hopes for, and who had reached the final of the 2024 edition.

Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde praised his team and coach Mourinho after their 3-2 victory over AEK Athens in the Champions League.

Valverde said on the Movistar channel after the match: “It was a difficult match as we expected, but we had difficulty reaching the goal despite controlling the game, so I congratulate my team for its effort and work, and we must continue in the same way.”

Regarding Real Madrid’s faltering start and falling behind twice, the Uruguayan player said: “We were affected by conceding an early goal, but we continued to play with the same plan that we practiced throughout the week.”

He added: “We were in good condition despite the difficulties after receiving every goal, and we made a great effort, so I am happy for the team.”

Federico touched on the comeback in the result, saying: “The credit goes to the technical staff led by Mourinho, and the trust in each other. This is wonderful, and it was clear that we continued trying until the last minutes.”

He continued: “The task seemed very difficult after receiving a second goal, but the team succeeded in returning again.”

Federico concluded by talking about his deadly goal, saying: “I think a lot about long shots. I am grateful to my teammates. Because thanks to them, I have a strong desire to shoot.”

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois praised his team's mental toughness after their difficult victory over AEK Athens, 3-2, on Wednesday evening, in the Champions League.

Courtois said on the Movistar channel, after the match that was held in the Greek capital: “We knew that it would be a difficult match here. This is a team that plays aggressively and presses hard at the beginning. They had 4 chances in the first 15 minutes.”

The Belgian goalkeeper added: “But we dealt with the situation well and succeeded in equalizing. Our reaction was positive, and we held on to the hope of returning until the last moments.”

He continued: “I do not know the secret of this comeback. It is about faith until the end. This is a distinctive feature of Real Madrid. We never give up, as happened in the Roma match, and we achieved an important victory as part of our quest to finish the league stage among the first 8 clubs in the standings.”

When asked about his Brazilian colleague Vinicius Junior’s need for confidence, Courtois replied: “Yes, but the entire team trusts him, and the Greek team defended well and made the task difficult for everyone, whether Vinicius or Kylian Mbappe.”

Courtois concluded his statements: “Coach Mourinho rotates the squad and gives everyone their chance, and this is a good thing.”