INDIAN WELLS, March 12 — Top seed Carlos Alcaraz powered past Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday to reach the third round of the Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters.

The Spaniard, ranked number two in the world, didn’t face a break point as he launched his bid for a third Masters 1000 title and a return to number one.

He needed just one hour and 16 minutes to get past Kokkinakis, ranked 94th in the world, and line up a meeting with Tallon Griekspoor, the number 31 seed from the Netherlands who beat Argentina’s Guido Pella 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4).

Alcaraz, whose US Open triumph last year saw him become the youngest ever world number one, missed the Australian Open after an abdominal tear in late 2022 and then a hamstring injury sidelined him for four months.

He returned last month to win the title in Buenos Aires before falling in the final at Rio de Janeiro, where he was again hindered by a hamstring strain that prompted him to pull out of the ATP tournament in Acapulco.

There was no sign of the injury on Saturday, when he dropped just one point on his serve in the opening set.

An early break gave him a 3-0 lead. Kokkinakis began to hold with confidence, but in the end he had no answer for Alcaraz’s speed and power. — AFP