World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz began his belated build-up to Roland Garros with an emphatic second-round win over Nuno Borges at the Barcelona Open on Tuesday.
The Spanish teenager was back in action after hand and back problems forced him to pull out of last week’s 2023 debut on European clay at the Monte Carlo Masters.
The top seed swept aside the world number 79 from Portugal 6-3, 6-1 to set up an all-Spanish last-16 clash with either Bernabe Zapata Miralles or Roberto Bautista Agut.
Alcaraz pulled out of Monte Carlo with the injuries that had hampered his last appearance in the semifinals in Miami where he succumbed to Jannik Sinner.
He turned up at Miami as the world No 1 after success at Indian Wells, but was knocked off the top of the ATP rankings by Novak Djokovic after his loss to Sinner.
The 19-year-old’s bid to successfully defend a tour-level title for the first time this week got off to the best possible start, as he dispatched Borges in 63 minutes.
The 2022 US Open champion converted five of seven break points to continue his quest for a third title of the season after Indian Wells and Buenos Aires.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic said he has not fully recovered from an elbow issue which hindered him in his Monte Carlo Masters last-16 exit last week.
The world No 1 struggled with his serve before falling to Italian Lorenzo Musetti in Monaco.
