Alcaraz, until the last follow -up to Djokovic in an epic match

Memorable battles, from the best of those played to the best of three sets. An epic encounter that has become even more historic because the winner is the youngest finalist in history Mutual Madrid is open. At 19 years and 2 days old, Carlos Alcaraz signed an anonymous deed in the golden era of the ‘Big 3’: he became the first tennis player capable of winning consecutive days on clay Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Murcian eliminated his idol Nadal on Friday in the quarterfinals and made a spectacular return to world number one to win 6-7 (5), 7-5 and 7-6 (5) at 3h.35 ‘ a great watch. The Alcaraz ‘boom’ pushed over 12,000 fans to fill the Manolo Santana Stadium. He overflows with courage and quality to subdue a Djokovic who has recovered at his best version.

An appointment to remember. Carlos Alcaraz It’s this Sunday (6:30 pm) the third Spaniard to seek the Masters 1000 ATP title in Madrid that his coach has already won Juan Carlos Ferrero and Rafael NadalThis is five times.

This is against the German alexander zverevprotector of the crown, or the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas. ‘The show must go on’. The show needs to go on. And he would do so because there was no other possibility when Carlitos was at stake, remembering his grandfather Carlos’s advice that he had so well recorded: “Heart, Head and Ball”he loudly repeated to those present at Caja Mágica and to all who were hooked on the magic of the two superheroes by any of its devices.

Carlos Alcaraz will play his fifth final on the ATP Tour. And it didn’t fail: he won in Umag 2021, as well as in this course of Rio de Janeiro, Miami and Godó. As well as not counted on the official list of winners, although he won: the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan 2021, the U-21 Masters.

Who will rise from ninth to sixth place in the world rankings on Monday played an impressive game. In his first direct duel with Djokovic he met thousands and a source of a man who continues to hold at number one despite the fact that he has only played four tournaments this year and that he has ‘resurrected’ afterwards. that show physical problems both in Monte Carlo as in Belgrade. Roland Garros was approaching and he hit an acceleration that almost preceded the tennis player by the moment as well.

Djokovic bounced back from 4-2 Alcaraz in the first set, where he signed a series of 21 consecutive points including serve.where he has almost been able to silence a Carlitos who has won his last nine games, dominating 27 of 30 this year, 15 of 16 on clay.

Balkan took the first set (7-6 in 1h.02 ‘) with a lesson in continuity, maximum concentration. Stability against the sparkle of an Alcaraz of more ups and downs, whose adrenaline rises and falls in stages, although it reaches its highest peak when it is time to judge an impressive battle.

Alcaraz twice prevented Djokovic from serving for the match in the second set, which ended on his own via ‘hoot’: left backhand, Djokovic’s cross response, came the Spaniard who skated the ball ‘in extremis’ to score a winning parallel: 7-5. And the public stood up, shamelessly upset with Murcian at the expense of a triple champion of the event.

But drama, epic. All the elements of the sport, cooked by two racket monsters. One has twenty Grand Slams and another threatening with equal historical numbers. Every point of the third set turned out to be a skirmish like no other. Extraordinary hits. Lively.

Looser Alcaraz, experiencing Djokovic supported by a serve that became possible who returned with an ‘ace’ at the first point of the ‘match’, along with 5-4 Alcaraz. He reached the ‘tiebreak’, where Murcian played as if he was measuring himself against the best in his entire life. In fact, he has already knocked out the last six top-10s he has faced. And he broke the resistance of a brave Djokovic with his electric arms and legs.

“It’s a long fight against Madrid”, signed on a sneaky television camera. Leaving an indelible mark too early, as happened in his day with Nadal and Djokovic, to take revenge on Roland Garros.

Alcaraz is the twelfth player to beat Nadal and Djokovic in the same tournament, the fifth on consecutive days. The youngest of all and the first on earth. It was like a shot.