[Singles – First Round]
Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) def. Alex Michelsen (USA) 7–6(1), 4–6, 6–1

■What troubled Alcaraz was Michelsen’s fearless shot-making and the conditions of the court. Michelsen, 22, had reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the US Open, and he carried that strong form straight to Ariake in Tokyo. Early on, his shots had so much pace, and his movement was so sharp, that he was getting the better of Alcaraz. Alcaraz, meanwhile, had just competed at the Laver Cup in London and traveled halfway around the globe to Tokyo. Although he began hitting balls from the day he arrived in Japan, the indoor court he had practiced on was completely different from the Coliseum with its retractable roof open. “Even the feel of the ball was different,” he said.

■“It took me a while to reach the point where I realized I had to completely change the way I was playing,” Alcaraz said. He managed to take the first set in a tiebreak, but after leading 4–2 in the second, he dropped four straight games and lost the second set. Even so, he gradually regained the precision on his shots and said “I was able to accept the conditions and then bring out my own game.” In the deciding set, he overwhelmed Michelsen. “I’m not satisfied with everything, but in the first match of any tournament, there are often things that don’t go exactly as you want. So, to be able to win in three sets was a good thing,” he said afterward with a relaxed smile.

(Japan Tennis Association)