A 34‑year‑old Georgian, fresh from an Almaty final, steps onto the Vienna carpet against the rising Spanish star.
Key points
- Basilashvili, world No. 95, earned his Vienna spot by beating Jurij Rodionov in two sets.
- He has five ATP titles and reached a career‑high ranking of No. 16 in 2019.
- Alcaraz leads their head‑to‑head 2‑0, with wins in 2021 and 2022.
- The match offers Alcaraz a chance to advance toward the quarter‑finals and build form ahead of the Paris Masters.
Carlos Alcaraz will meet Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili in the round of 16 at the ATP 500 event in Vienna on Thursday, according to La Verdad. Basilashvili secured his place by defeating local favorite Jurij Rodionov in straight sets on Wednesday.
The 34‑year‑old, currently ranked No. 95, arrived in Austria after a strong showing in Almaty, where he reached the final of the indoor hard‑court tournament before losing to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.
Recent Form
Basilashvili’s career has been marked by flashes of brilliance. He has captured five ATP titles – Hamburg and Beijing in 2018, a second Hamburg crown in 2019, and Doha and Munich in 2021 – and peaked at world No. 16 in mid‑2019. Since then, his results have been inconsistent, with more setbacks than triumphs, according to the source.
His head‑to‑head record against Alcaraz is 0‑2. The first encounter came at Roland Garros in 2021, where Alcaraz won in three sets, and the second at the Madrid Masters in 2022, ending in a straight‑sets victory for the Spaniard.
Career Highlights
For Alcaraz, the Vienna match is a stepping stone toward the indoor hard‑court season’s next milestones, including the Paris Masters. A win would move him into the quarter‑finals and keep his momentum alive as the year draws to a close.
In Georgia, Basilashvili is celebrated as a national hero, having carved out a place among the country’s few elite athletes despite a career that has seen both highs and lows.
Reader questions
When is the Basilashvili vs. Alcaraz match scheduled?
The round‑of‑16 match is set for Thursday at 15:00 local time in Vienna.
What is Nikoloz Basilashvili’s current ATP ranking?
He is ranked No. 95 in the ATP rankings as of the latest update.
How have the two players fared against each other previously?
Alcaraz has won both of their previous meetings – at the 2021 French Open and the 2022 Madrid Masters.
Source: laverdad.es
