LONDON (AP) - Carlos Alcaraz reached his first ATP closing on grass and moved one win away from reclaiming the highest rating by taking out Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-4 on the Queen’s Club Championships on Saturday.

Alex de Minaur stands between Alcaraz and the trophy and No. 1 rating.

Alcaraz and Korda performed their firs profession semifinal on grass.

Korda, the primary American to succeed in the Queen’s semifinals in 11 years, served 9 aces but in addition double-faulted six instances. His slice was frequently punished by Alcaraz’s heavy forehands.

Alcaraz gained the one break level of the second set and held on.

Victory would give the U.S. Open champion his fifth title of the yr, his eleventh tour title total and transfer the 20-year-old Spaniard above Novak Djokovic within the ATP rankings - that means he would additionally enter Wimbledon subsequent month because the No. 1 seed.

The second-seeded Holger Rune additionally got here to London by no means having gained a tour-level match on grass, like Alcaraz.

De Minaur knocked out Rune 6-3, 7-6 (2), saving the three break factors he confronted and breaking the 20-year-old Dane’s serve twice.

De Minaur has pedigree on grass. The Australian gained Eastbourne in 2021 and reached the Wimbledon final 16 in 2022.

“I have played decent on grass and I am having a good week, and this was my best performance of the week,” he mentioned.

De Minaur gained the most important title of his profession - and his seventh - in February at Acapulco.

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