Carlos Alcaraz has produced a near-flawless show to elevate a 3rd title of the season, crushing Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight units to retain the Barcelona Open crown.
The Spaniard, who doesn’t flip 20 till subsequent month, was in commanding type on Sunday in a 6-3 6-4 victory over the second seed which provides to his 2023 title wins in Buenos Aires and Indian Wells.
Alcaraz stays behind Novak Djokovic within the rankings however, with the Serbian troubled by an elbow downside and out of the Madrid Open, and Rafael Nadal struggling to play on clay in any respect as he battles a hip damage, {the teenager} might go into the French Open because the favorite.
Tsitsipas might discover no reply to the all-round brilliance of Alcaraz, who missed the beginning of the season by way of damage however has been making up for misplaced time ever since.
After profitable his ninth title, Alcaraz mentioned: “It’s incredible. To feel this energy and lift the trophy in Barcelona in front of my family and friends, and most members of my team are here as well.
“Playing this stage and to elevate the trophy in entrance of them is an efficient feeling for me.”
In Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, there was an emotional ATP triumph for Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, who followed up his upset of countryman Djokovic in the quarter-finals by taking out Russia’s second seed Andrey Rublev 6-3 4-6 6-4.
Rublev, who won the biggest title of his career in Monte Carlo last week, fought back from 5-1 down in the decider but 70th-ranked Lajovic held his nerve to clinch his second ATP title, four years after his first.
Lajovic said: “I’m thrilled and overwhelmed that I did it this week. The final time I used to be in a closing was 4 years in the past and I’ve been by way of so much since then.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
