ATP
Alcaraz writes history as youngest to complete career Grand Slam
Carlos Alcaraz wrote his own history while denying Novak Djokovic another record on Sunday with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 defeat of the world No. 4 to win a first Australian Open.
Alcaraz, the world No. 1, was rocked in the opening set by the 38-year-old Serb with a record 10 trophies here as Djokovic took early control.
But the dream slowly evaporated in just over three hours for the 24-time Grand Slam champion who won his last major at the US Open three years ago but has since played five semi-finals and two finals at the majors.
At age 22, Alcaraz becomes the youngest man – and ninth overall – to complete the career Grand Slam, titles at all four of the majors. Djokovic was also chasing history as he sought a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, he most ever recorded in the sport.
With Djokovic the last of the iconic Big 3 players still active, the changing of the guard between himself, Roger Federer and Melbourne VIP guest Rafa Nadal and the young gun pair of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner is complete.
Between them Alcaraz and Italy’s Sinner have won nine Grand Slam titles in a row since Djokovic claimed the US Open – his 24th – in September, 2023.”Novak deserves an ovation for sure,” Alcaraz said in his victory speech. “he has been really inspiring to what I’m doing and also to people around the world.
“You put in the hard work every day, it’s an honour to share the court and the locker room with you.”
Sinner’s victory marked his seventh Grand Slam singles title and his first here; Djokovic, a 10-time Melbourne champion, had never lost a final at the event.
“No one knows how hard I’ve been working to get this trophy,” Alcaraz said. “My team and I did the right work, I’m grateful for everyone in my corner – this is your trophy also.”
Watching the final was Nadal, who came to Australia for longtime sponsor Kia.
“This is the first time Rafa has watched me as a pro,” Alcaraz said. “We had a few great battles on court (2-1 to Nadal).”
Alcaraz closed out victory with a break in the final game of Djokovic as the Serb drilled a forehand wide and Alcaraz fell on his back on the court in pure joy.
At the start, Djokovic shot off to a quick lead to claim the opening set 6-2 as the full-house crowd in the Rod Laver arena went wild for the early success of the veteran campaigner.
But Alcaraz, more than a decade and a half younger than the 38-year-old fourth seed, was quick to reverse the trend, levelling the final at a set apiece with his own 5-2 reply.
The Spaniard claiming the third set 6-3 to take the 2-1 lead on sets lead as Djokovic fought to regain his momentum
Djokovic fought hard in the fourth as his energy supplies began to dwindle, with the veteran saving six break points in a 12-minute second game as he squared the set at one game apiece.
Djokovic may have been feeling his exertions 48 hours earlier in the quarter-finals when he battled for more than four hours to defeat Sinner; Alcaraz went five and a half hours in his semi to defeat Alexander Zverev.
Main photo:- Carlos Alcaraz celebrates – ATPTour.com
Two-time champion Casper Ruud had to work for more than two and a half hours to overcome Jaime Faria, the Portuguese who put out Stan Wawrinka in the first round at the Gstaad Swiss Open on Thursday.
Faria was riding the momentum from Tuesday’s defeat of three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, set to retire this season and beaten in an opening match at his home venue.
Faria had his eye on a second upset as he faced Ruud, who lifted the trophy at this elite alpine village in 2021 and 2022.
Ruud ahd to dodge a bullet and mount a comeback to get through the second-round test against the Portuguese.
After dropping the opening set in a tiebreaker, Ruud played patiently as Faria saved five break points in the sixth game of the second set before failing on the sixth.
Ruud then pulled away for a 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-2 victory, his first since Roland Garros.
“Sometimes it is hard to say when you get a good feeling and you start to win some games in a row,” the winner said.
“You try from the first game to the last, but suddenly something clicked in the middle of the second for me, luckily.”
He added: “I had to really fight hard and if I played one bad game in the second and he serves well, it could be over and it would be time to go home. But luckily I can extend the stay.”
The Scandinavian could join Spaniards Sergi Bruguera and Alex Corretja as three-time winners in the Alps, with Ruud now standing 10-1 here over his career.
Stefanost Tsitsipas said he slept soundly prior to finishing off a darkness-interrupted match on Thursday as he eliminated local Jerome Kym at the Gstaad Swiss Open.
The Greek who once cracked third in the world and the 186th-ranked Swiss returned to the clay after darkness on Wednesday night left them hanging at 5-all in the third set.
Tsitsipas revved up his game from the resumption to emerge into the quarter-finals 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5).
The second seed now standing 85th in the world after several poor seasons and a split with his father as his coach, said getting his rest was not a problem after the interruption.
“It was strange going to bed and not being finished. I visualised what I wanted to do, my shot patterns.
“It worked out pretty well.
“I had a good night’s sleep, I was not too stressed and I recovered to get ready for the continuation.”
After saving break points in the first game on Thursday, Tsitsipas triumphed in the final-set tiebreaker
“I’m relieved I was able to save a couple of break points.. I put my game together and made it )victory) happen again.”
The Greek now faces off against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech for a semi-final spot.
“I’m expecting a lot of big serves, the altitude (1050m) helps. I’ll try to build consistency around my own serve.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas was handed a reprieve due to fading light with his second round match at the Swiss Open Gstaad stopped with the Greek deadlocked with local Jerome Kym 6-4, 6-7 (2), 5-5.
The math had to be halted as night fell and electronic linecalling computers could not read the path of the ball on the clay in contrast to humans who could have carried on for a few additional minutes..
The 27-year-old Tsitsipas was taking the worst of it in the concluding stage after a promising start.against a journeyman opponent ranked 186.
Tsitsipas, his ranking down to 85th after once standing third in the world, lashed out verbally in the last few games, apparently frustrated with his racquet reactions.
The Greek was quick to make his point of an overnight stoppage to the chair umpire while Kym – who reached 5-all with a love service hold – left the court with a defiant fist pump for his public in this alpine resort village.
The cutoff came after just over two hours of play, with the contest to be concluded on Thursday. The winner reaches the Friday quarter-finals.
Tsitsipas produced his last notable result in April with a fourth-round showing at the Madrid Masters,
He is aiming for his second quarter-final of the season after Doha in February and his 2025 Barcelona 15 months ago.
Tsitsipas stands 10-1 vs. players ranked outside the top 100 this season with a sole loss to No. 104 Italian Matteo Arnaldi at the Roland Garros second round.
History repeats for Argentine spoiler in Gstaad
Ruud survives a scare to secure Gstaad quarters
Tsitsipas finishes off Kym after overnight pause
-
Berlin4 weeks agoSabalenka finds her “little tiger” to fend off Czech challenge
-
Top Story3 weeks agoRaducanu takes a kicking as injury-boot drama flares
-
Adelaide International4 weeks agoEx-Wimbledon champion slammed with anti-doping ban
-
ATP4 weeks agoDe Minaur ambushed by Queen’s outsider Nakashima
-
Berlin4 weeks agoEala stuns Rybakina in Berlin blitz
-
ATP4 weeks agoBadosa unloads on ex-tennis boyfriend Tsitsipas
-
ATP4 weeks agoFritz squeezes Sascha to book first-time Halle final
-
Top Story3 weeks agoRaducanu withdraws on eve of Wimbledon