Carlos Alcaraz defeated Alex de Minaur in the 2023 Cinch Championships final to win his first-ever grass-court ATP title.
Alcaraz now finally has a title on every surface, and he also became the fifth-youngest player on the ATP Tour to achieve that. Going into the final match at the Queen's Club, the Spaniard knew that he defeated De Minaur before, even though that match was played on the clay in Barcelona last year.
On his way to the final, the 20-year-old's performance improved from one match to the other. After being on the brink of a loss in the first round, he elevated his play, even besting grass-court specialist Sebastian Korda.
On the other hand, De Minaur also played a very good tournament, and a lot was on the line for both, as Alcaraz could become the World No. 1 once again after the tournament, all he needed to do is win it.
Fans present at the Queen's Club didn't see a problem with final matches overlapping, as they came to see the two of the best players at this year's Cinch Championships, and they gave them a show.
The Australian had two chances to break in the eighth game of the first set when he pushed Alcaraz to the wall with multiple gruelling rallies. But the Spaniard saved both break points, just to create a chance to break in the next game.
The 20-year-old doesn't need more than once chance and he's proved it once more. Using his break point, and confirming the break with a comfortable hold of the serve, he won the first set 6-4.
Only one set away from becoming the World No. 1 again and winning his maiden grass-court title, Alcaraz started with a break already in the fifth game of the second set.
De Minaur was searching for the response for the remainder of the set, but he didn't get anywhere close to breaking his opponent's serve until the moment when the Spaniard actually served for the match.
The Australian built a 30-0 lead on his opponent's serve, but even that wasn't enough as Alcaraz showed that he can produce big serves to win the match 6-4, 6-4, and win the 2023 Cinch Championships.
It's his first grass-court title in his career, and it also means that on Monday, he will become a World No. 1 again. Moreover, the young sensation will be the top seed at the upcoming Wimbledon.
0 Comments