Carlos Alcaraz It will appear today at number 9 in the world. What Rafael Nadal in 2005 when 17 years ago, also on April 25, he bit his first title in Barcelona, the Murcian tennis player is already in the club of the 10 best on the circuit with 18 years, 11 months and 22 days. Just one month and two days later than the former world number 1, 12-time champion of the Barcelona tournament.
He was champion three hours after saving himself from elimination, in a marathon match against the Australian Alex De Minaur who won 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) and 6-4, after a battle of 3 hours and 43 minutes. A match in which the Australian missed two match balls at 6-5 in the second set, especially one that missed the net with his forehand and the entire open court that he will remember for a long time.
After the miracle of the semifinals, as Alcaraz recognized, the final against Pablo Carreno-Busta It has been much more peaceful. a match between friends, “the younger brother against the older brother & rdquor ;, as the two recognize each other. The equality has lasted four games. As soon as Alcaraz has made the first ‘break’ (3-2) he has already put the direct to dominate as he likes. With his serve, with his powerful forehand pointing to the lines, some magical drop shot to break the rhythm and, above all, much more patience than he had in the morning against DeMiñaur, the young Murcian tennis player has not let his prey escape .
Intimate friends
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Carreño has not found a way to overcome his little brother. It was contained on the track. He lacked spark and his legs felt heavy despite the fact that, in the semifinals, he had barely worn himself out to beat Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman (6-3, 6-4).
Yesterday was the first time they met in an ATP circuit tournament, although they have shared friendship and training at the Juan Carlos Ferrero academy in Villena for years. During the covid-19 pandemic, they spent almost three months preparing together daily. Alcaraz owes a lot to Carreño from those days but, on the court, as the Murcian tennis player said before the final, “there are no friends & rdquor ;..