Alcaraz beats fortunate loser Struff to retain Madrid Open title

MADRID — Carlos Alcaraz efficiently defended his Madrid Open title with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over fortunate loser Jan-Lennard Struff on Sunday, transferring nearer to recovering his world No. 1 rating

The 20-year-old Spaniard shall be again on the high of the rankings going into the French Open if he performs a minimum of one match on the upcoming Italian Open.

He transformed on his first match level after a hard-fought battle in opposition to Struff to safe his fourth title of the 12 months and tenth of his spectacular younger profession. He had additionally efficiently defended his title in Barcelona two weeks in the past.

It was Alcaraz’s twenty ninth win of the season, and twenty first straight in Spain going again to a loss to Rafael Nadal in Madrid on his 18th birthday two years in the past.

Alcaraz’s different titles this 12 months got here in Buenos Aires and Indian Wells. He is the primary participant to win two Masters 1000 trophies this season.

The big-serving Struff was the primary fortunate loser to achieve an ATP Masters 1000 remaining, having earned an sudden spot in the principle draw after one other participant needed to drop out.

The 33-year-old German, ranked sixty fifth on the planet, was making an attempt to turn into simply the fourth participant and first in additional than 20 years to win his first tour-level trophy at a Masters 1000.

Struff had misplaced within the remaining spherical of qualifying to Aslan Karatsev, the participant he finally beat within the semifinals after upsetting fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas within the quarterfinals. The remaining was his ninth match on the clay-court match in Madrid, in comparison with six for the top-seeded Alcaraz.

Struff beat Alcaraz on clay on the French Open in 2021, whereas Alcaraz wanted 5 units to down Struff at Wimbledon final 12 months.

WOMEN’S DOUBLES

Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia received the ladies’s doubles title by defeating top-seeded Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-4.

The unseeded profitable duo upset two of the top-three seeds in Madrid.