Carlos Alcaraz delivered one of his most straightforward victories in recent memory, defeating Andrea Vavassori in the second round of the 2025 Rotterdam Open.
The top seed faced a tough draw at the ATP 500 event, starting with a first-round clash against Botic van de Zandschulp—the player who had previously upset him at the US Open.
In the second round, Alcaraz was initially expected to meet Felix Auger-Aliassime, an indoor hard-court specialist riding a four-match winning streak. However, Auger-Aliassime was forced to retire after the second set of his opening match against qualifier Andrea Vavassori, allowing the Italian to advance.
This set up an even greater challenge for Vavassori, as he now had to face the tournament’s top favorite. Despite battling an illness, Alcaraz showed no signs of weakness. The 21-year-old broke his opponent in the opening game and immediately treated the Rotterdam crowd to a moment of brilliance in the second. After executing a spectacular behind-the-back lob, he followed up with a stunning backhand winner off Vavassori’s overhead, drawing gasps from the audience.
Alcaraz dominated the first set, creating break opportunities in every return game. While he didn’t convert them all, two breaks were more than enough. He wrapped up the set 6-2 in just 39 minutes, winning 86% of his first-serve points and controlling play from the baseline.
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