LONDON — Carlos Alcaraz came from a set down Tuesday to beat lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech in the top-seeded player’s first match at the grass-court Queen’s Club Championships.
Alcaraz won 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3) against the No. 83-ranked Rinderknech, a Frenchman who only found out he was playing following the withdrawal of Arthur Fils a couple of hours before the match.
Alcaraz faced difficulties in dealing with Rinderknech’s big serve and net coverage in what was the No. 2-ranked Spaniard’s seventh career match on grass, and first outside Wimbledon.
It was Alcaraz’s first match since losing to Novak Djokovic in the French Open semifinals, after which he went to Spanish party island Ibiza.
Second-seeded Holger Rune beat big-serving American Maxime Cressy 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) for his first grass-court ATP win, after losing three in the first round last year – including at Wimbledon.
Frances Tiafoe won his first match as a top-10 player by defeating Botic van De Zandschulp 6-2 6-4.
Tiafoe is seeded fourth in London after winning the grass-court Stuttgart Open title on Sunday to climb to a career-high spot of No. 10 in the rankings. Another American, third-seeded Taylor Fritz, plays Bernabe Zapata Miralles later.
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Carlos Alcaraz tops Arthur Rinderknech in Queen’s Club opener
