Holger Rune battled past injured Carlos Alcaraz to spoil the Spanish Easter party at the Barcelona Open, with the Dane lifting the trophy 7-6 (6), 6-2. 

The pair of 21-year-olds were familiar foes, having played 20 times in juniors before hitting the Tour;  Rune won the first 500 series title of his career and his fifth overall.

Alcaraz was treated three times in the second set after an apparent injury to his upper right thigh/groin after duelling hard in the opening set at the Real Club.

The loss will send Alcaraz back to third in the rankings, with Alexander Zverev moving back to second behind Jannik Sinner as a result of winning the Munich title on Sunday.

Rune, a first-round victim last week in Monte Carlo, reversed his clay momentum in Spain, handing Alcaraz a first loss of a set for the week.

The Spanish top seed’s two final shots both clipped the top of the net and fell back as Rune raised his hands in celebration after 97 minutes on court in the Catalan capital.

“This means the world,” the winner said. “I started the match stressed, he was playing big-time tennis.

“I was able to find my rhythm after he broke me (3-2 in the opening set) and I got more into the match.

“The first set was a big battle with a lot of important points. It was super-important to win the set and gain momentum.

“I’m so proud of myself.”

Rune ended with 18 winners while the ailing Alcaraz produced 33 unforced errors. The Dane claimed his 50th match win on clay and levelled his Tour record in the series to 2-2.

Rune said he channeled Novak Djokovic’s Paris Olympic gold medal win from  last summer over Alcaraz as he struggled to turn his game around in Barcelona.

“I asked myself what Novak did to win that final. I (realised) that I didn’t need to hit every ball on the line. I need to make him play and hit a lot of balls.”

Rune, who won the elite Paris Bercy Masters 1000 title in 2022, finally began reversing a 13-match loss streak against top five opponents.with his title victory.

Alcaraz may be racing for fitness with the Madrid Masters starting on Wednesday as the ATP ploughs ahead with an unpopular two-week format for Masters tournaments despite growing protest from exhausted players.

Main photo:- Holger Rune celebrates Barcelona win – by ATPTour.com

Carlos Alcaraz completed his Cinderella story at the Monte Carlo Masters on Sunday, with the second seed lifting his first title here at the expense of an injured opponent.

Lorenzo Musetti was unable to compete in the final set as he suffered with an injury to his hip and upper right thigh.

The Italian, a crowd favourte at this venue just 15 kilometres from the Italian border, went down 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 to a subdued Alcaraz,

Musetti will move to 11th in the world on Monday, scant consolation after a tough week on the clay.

The 21-year-old Alcaraz, winner of four Grand Slam titles, had never won a match in the principality prior to this edition. His only other appearances ended with a 2022 opening loss to Sebastian Korda.

A potentially chaotic scenario with Sunday’s rain forecast, was avoided with an unorthodox noon start for the final.

Musetti said “it’s always a lesson from Carlos. It’ not easy to talk after this  defeat, I had hoped to fight to the end.

“I hope to challenge to the end but it was not to be today,”

Alcaraz now owns six Masters 1000 titles while Musetti will achieve a career-high ranking of 11th after his performance this week.

Musetti swept through the opening set, with Alcaraz striking 14 unforced errors. But as his physical problems began to set in, the momentum shifted in favour of Alcaraz, who ran out victory in an hour and three-quarters.

“This is not the way you want to win a final,” Alcaraz said. “Lorenzo has been through a tough week, paying long and intense matches

“I feel sorry for him and hope he recovers quickly. I hope it’s nothing serious and he will be 100 per cent really soon.”

Alcaraz, who heads onto home clay of Barcelona next week, added: “I’m happy to have won here for the first time. 

“I’ve had some (unspecified) tough situations off court. I’m proud of how I dealt with everything., it’s been a difficult one for me.

“I’m glad the hard work paid off. I had to stop onto the court and find a way to play good tennis and not focus on anything else.”

Alcaraz was playing in his third straight clay final after Roland Garros and the Paris Olympics.

Main photo:- Carlos Alcaraz with his first Monte Carlo Trophy – by ISF Ltd

With his 38th birthday in little over a month, Novak Djokovic is understandably thinking of his legacy when he finally bows out of tennis.

But the 24-time Grand Slam champion is in the midst of a late-career quest with a 100th Tour title  and a record 25th Grand Slam hanging in the balance.

The Serb lifted his last trophy in Paris, winning gold at the Games. He missed out on his title century a week ago, losing the Miami final.

But Djokovic remains optimistic about someday going out with a bang as the  last of the ATP Big 4: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, himself and his current coach Andy Murray.

“I don’t think (I would quit before pushing to achieve his goals), but you never know,” he said on Sunday prior to his start at the Monte Carlo Masters.

“I still have gas left in the tank and I’ve proven that I can still play at a high level.

“It gives me satisfaction to compete (well) on court.”

He explained his dilemma: “There is a group which thinks I should leave tennis on a high, which I understand. They thought I should have left after winning Olympic gold.

“But you never know what the future will bring. I would love to win my 100th title and another Grand Slam. If I could sign for that, I would.

“But it’s a big mountain to climb and I’m hoping for the best.”