ATP Challenger Trieste: young star Alcaraz before first tournament victory
Carlos Alcaraz continued his successful run this week and reached his first final on the ATP Challenger Tour at the Città di Trieste, which is endowed with 88,250 euros. The only 17-year-old Spaniard prevailed in the duel of the young stars on Saturday afternoon against the only one year older Italian Lorenzo Musetti with 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.
by Florian Heer
last edit: Aug 29, 2020, 09:55 pm
From Florian Heer from Trieste
In an attractive match in front of a crowd of almost 400 spectators on the Campo Centrale, which hardly allowed the necessary corona minimum distance rules, both young stars acted solidly from the baseline. Musetti appeared stronger on serve, while Alcaraz was quick on his feet and impressed with great defensive skills.
Alcaraz with a strong start and finish
Alcaraz, who fought his way into the main draw after qualifying, got off to a strong start against the junior champion of last year's US Open. Musetti only began to read the Spaniard's game better in the second sentence. After almost one and a half hours of play, the semi-finals went into the decisive round.
The local hero from Carrara, who is currently number 280 in the ATP world rankings, was able to transform his first breakball in the fourth game of the third set and the atmosphere at the Trieste Tennis Club reached its peak. But Alcaraz did not give up yet. He managed the immediate re-break and used the momentum to upset the Italian with recurring, excellently timed dropshots. In the seventh game of the third set, the number 310 of the world Musetti took the serve and after a double error by the Italian won the game after two hours and 13 minutes.
Alcaraz and Musetti: duel of the future
"That was a really tough match today against a strong, young opponent," said Alcaraz, relieved afterwards. “It's only been a year between us, but we don't know each other that well and first played against each other on the junior tour. Here in Trieste we were able to complete a training session together. "
By reaching the finals, the Spanish teenager recorded his greatest success in professional tennis to date. "That means a lot to me," says Alcaraz, protégé of the former Roland Garros champion Juan Carlos Ferrero. "I felt comfortable here from the start and I am very satisfied with my performance this week."
Against Bonadio in the final
In the title match, Alcaraz now faces another surprise finalist. The Italian qualifier Riccardo Bonadio defeated Mario Vilella Martinez 7-6 (5), 6-2 to make the first entry into a final on the ATP Challenger Tour.
"I only saw his match against Mario", Alcaraz looks ahead somewhat uncertainly at the first encounter with the Italian. A title win by the youngster from Murcia would make Alcaraz the fourth youngest champion on the Challenger Tour in the last 10 years. Only Felix Auger-Aliassime from Canada, who won two titles in Lyon and Seville in 2017, and a certain Alexander Zverev, winner in Braunschweig 2014, were even younger.