But just as he seemed ready to run away with the match, Ruud got one break back by converting on his sixth break point of a three-deuce game. There was more magic early in the second set, as Alcaraz turned on the style with a pair of winners to seal his two early breaks in the second. A big serve erased the chance as the youngster powered to a one-set lead. Without blowing away the sixth seed on his own serve, Alcaraz held comfortably until he was forced to save a break point while serving out the set. The Spaniard applied consistent pressure on the Ruud serve, frequently putting his opponent on the back foot with deep returns. He won six of seven games to wrestle away the opening stanza - a ripped 102-mph forehand winner bringing up his break chances at 5-5. Ruud opened well, but was helped along by five early errors from Alcaraz as he eased in front.īut after getting to at least 40/30 in his opening three return games, Alcaraz got the break back on his third break chance of the match. Just as in his quarter-final win over Miomir Kecmanovic, Alcaraz took some time to find his footing on the stadium court. Forehand down the line, backhand down the line was a pretty good key for me."
"I tried not to let him dominate the match. I tried to play to his backhand first and attack all the time," Alcaraz said of his tactics. "I knew that Casper is playing unbelievable. He used that run to open up a double-break lead in the second, and though Ruud clawed one back, he could not stop the Spaniard from closing out the match with three confident service holds. 1 had not been at the tournament due to the recent passing of his father, Eduardo.Īfter dropping the opening three games of the match with a slow start, Alcaraz took control by winning eight of nine games from 1-4 down. I'm so happy with the win and my team."Īlcaraz's team in Miami included the late addition of coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who surprised his charge by arriving ahead of the final. I have an unbelievable team with me and family. "It's so special to win my first Masters 1000 here in Miami. "I have no words to describe how I feel right now," Alcaraz said after the one hour, 52-minute match. The first Spanish champion at the event, he will rise to a career-high ATP Ranking of No. The Spaniard defeated sixth seed Casper Ruud, 7-5, 6-4, in the final at Hard Rock Stadium to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title and his third tour-level crown.Īlcaraz is the youngest Miami men's champion in the event's 37-year history, and the third-youngest ATP Masters 1000 champion overall, spanning 283 events from 1990. The 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz claimed the biggest ATP Tour title of his career on Sunday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.
0 kommentar(er)
