Carlos Alcaraz throws his racket in frustration during Madrid Open 2R clash against Emil Ruusuvuori

Carlos Alcaraz's title defense at the Madrid Open started with a hard-fought win over Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round on Friday, April 28.

Alcaraz had to come back from a set down to beat the Finn. The first set was completely dominated by Ruusuvuori, and the Spaniard found it hard to keep up with him.

Frustrated by his lack of rhythm in the opening exchanges, Alcaraz threw his racket to the ground at one point. It was a rare expression of frustration by the 19-year-old, who has previously stated that being composed on the court is something he has consciously worked on.

Alcaraz bounced back in the second set and won it 6-4, before taking the third 6-2 to book his place in the third round of the Madrid Open.

After the match, the Spaniard pinpointed the crucial sixth game of the second set, in which he saved five break points to hold serve, as the turning point. Alcaraz also praised Ruusuvuori for the way he played.

"It was really tough. I would say I was about to lose," Alcaraz said. "It was just one point. One of the break points he had at 2-3 in the second set was like a match point for him. I was really happy I was able to save that game and come back a bit. It was really tough. Emil played unbelievably, but I am really, really happy to get through that."

Carlos Alcaraz will face Grigor Dimitrov in the third round of the Madrid Open

Carlos Alcaraz during his match against Emil Ruusuvuori at the Madrid Open

After surviving a scare from Emil Ruusuvuori, Carlos Alcaraz will next face 26th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the third round of the Madrid Open. The Bulgarian reached the round of 32 after beating Gregoire Barrere 7-6(6), 7-6(2).

Alcaraz and Dimitrov will lock horns for the second time, with the Spaniard winning their prior encounter 6-1, 6-3. That match took place in the third round of last year's Paris Masters.

Alcaraz's win over Ruusuvuori took his win-loss record to 24-2 so far in 2023. The Spaniard already has three titles this year, the Argentina Open, the Indian Wells Masters, and most recently the Barcelona Open where he did not drop a single set.