ATP Basel: In Switzerland, people rely on the big show - and Carlos Alcaraz
The ATP 500 event in Basel officially started yesterday with "Super Monday". A lot was not only offered on the court.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Oct 24, 2022, 10:10 pm
What Brandon Nakashima conjured up on Basel's Center Court from the middle of the second set was quite impressive. Also the knowledgeable audience from the press tiers. Where the service performance of the American in particular met with an extremely positive response. All in all, the duel with David Goffin - despite the sometimes quite remarkable level - was still to be seen: this is probably just a side note on this first day at the Swiss Indoors in Basel's St. Jakobshalle.
This impression is also and especially intensified by the fact that the official opening of the ATP 500 event, solemnly accompanied by the orchestra and pop star Alvaro Soler, was only scheduled after the opening single. Not without good reason, as the majority of the seats in Basel's St. Jakobshalle that were empty in the early afternoon were occupied at that point in time. They had all come to see a man who stole the show from everyone else: Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz with a strong performance
And it was once again impressive to see how this only 19-year-old Spaniard is already attracting and entertaining the crowds. And knows how to unite behind. This is not only due to the attractive game of the Iberian, but also his presence on the court. And this is already extremely strong at the tender age of 19. A year older, but less impressive, seemed Jack Draper, who faced Alcaraz in only his second ATP match as the world number one. And it cut a good figure at the same time.
The Briton demanded everything from Alcaraz for almost two and a half hours - but in the end the youngster had the better end for himself. Also because Alcaraz showed really good tennis from the second sentence. And his forehand - always treated with a reverent murmur from the ranks - knew how to use it profitably a few times. The top seeded Spaniard is now waiting for the winner in the duel between Botic van de Zandschulp and Adrian Mannarino, possible quarter-final opponent is compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta.
Roger Federer as a great absentee
Apart from the much-awaited performance by Carlos Alcaraz, there was little going on in Basel on Monday. Arthur Rinderknech and Marin Cilic ended the late evening well past the 11:00 p.m. mark. Especially because the atmospheric introduction to Carlos Alcaraz's opening match took well over two hours. The scenery, which was led into the night's rest by the Croatian-French duel, was correspondingly tranquil.
What is also striking: the name Roger Federer is omnipresent. And it is not uncommon for great melancholy to resonate when the subject of the Swiss is discussed. The 41-year-old recently declined a big farewell at the ATP 500 event. The date of Federer's last appearance on the big tennis stage is too close - at the Laver Cup in London. There it also became the sad reality that the maestro's hoped-for last dance in Basel would not take place.
Apparently Carlos Alcaraz should now fill this gap. Comparing this with the popularity ratings that Roger Federer, from Basel, enjoys in front of a home crowd is, of course, presumptuous. But: A new superstar is also being built here for the hard court classic. That was evident this Monday. And that the Spaniard has the game to take that position is undisputed. This was also shown by the number of spectators on Monday - almost 8,000 tennis fans came to the St. Jakobshalle for the first of seven days of world-class tennis.