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Jose Manuel Franco, president of the Consejo Superior de Deportes (Spain's National Sports Council), hopes to see Carlos Alcaraz win the 2022 Barcelona Open in front of his home fans.
Speaking to Spanish daily sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Franco lavished praise on the teenager ahead of his Barcelona opener. Franco proclaimed that Alcaraz can follow in the footsteps of Spaniards such as Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer with a title run at the ATP 500 event.
"We are waiting to see if Carlos Alcaraz can win [the Barcelona Open] and can follow in the wonderful and exemplary wake of tennis players like [Tommy] Robredo, [David] Ferrer, [Sergi] Bruguera ...all the exemplary tennis players in Spain and the great Rafa Nadal at the helm," Franco said.
Jose Manuel Franco also touched on Tommy Robredo's retirement during the interview. The former World No. 5 retired from professional tennis after 24 years on tour at the age of 39, playing his last match at the Barcelona Open against Bernabe Zapata Miralles in front of friends and family.
Hailing Robredo as an example of the "magnificent" tennis players Spain has produced over the years, Franco expressed pride in the new generation of women's and men's players waiting in the wings.
"[Tommy Robredo] has given a lot to Spanish tennis and is an example of the magnificent athletes that we have had in tennis and will continue to have," Franco said. "We are facing very promising generations in both men's and women's tennis."
Carlos Alcaraz kicks off his 2022 Barcelona Open against Kwon Soon-woo
Seeded fifth at the 2022 Barcelona Open, Carlos Alcaraz received a bye in the first round and will take on South Korean Kwon Soon-woo in the second round. The pair have not faced off against each other till date, and will meet for the first time in Barcelona.
Alcaraz has played only one match in the tournament till date, losing in the first round of the 2021 edition against Frances Tiafoe. A win against Kwon will pit the World No. 11 against either Nikoloz Basilashvili or Jaume Munar.
The Spaniard's quarter-final opponent is most likely to be top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, whom Alcaraz defeated en route to his title triumph at the Miami Masters.
Also Check Out :-Barcelona Open 2022 Schedule
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