Carlos Alcaraz, the world's second-ranked player, defeated Cameron Norrie in the Argentina Open final in two sets to win his first ATP Tour championship since the US Open.
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The 19-year-old defeated second seed Norrie 6-3, 7-5, after being forced to withdraw from the Australian Open due to a leg injury. Norrie broke Alcaraz when he was serving for the match, but was unable to mount a stunning comeback. When the scoreboard read 30-40 in each of the first four service games, there would be no comfortable holds for either man in the first exchanges, maybe due to showpiece nerves. Following that, Alcaraz and Norrie exchanged back-to-back love holds for 3-3 to put the other at bay. Nevertheless, once the US Open champion regained his footing, Norrie was helpless to stop it. In the seventh game, a Norrie double fault gave Alcaraz his first two break points of the match, which he converted before escaping another uncomfortably long hold.
After having to hold to stay in the first set, Norrie once more let the world number two two break points, losing the set in just over 36 minutes despite Alcaraz’s 1-0 advantage. In the opening game of the second set, Norrie jumped out in front and took a 30-0 lead on Alcaraz’s serve, pushing him into a deuce. Nevertheless, the Spaniard’s tenacity showed as he won the opening hold. Any limited chances of a Norrie comeback were further diminished when Alcaraz quickly moved up a set and a break in the second game before following it up with another uncomfortably tight hold to take the second set by a score of 3-0.
As Cameron Norrie waited for his first break point opportunity of the match, Alcaraz’s serve continued to be too hot to handle, and the Spaniard soon found himself 5-2 up and a game away from winning the match. With a love hold, Norrie appeared to have only postponed the inevitable, but in the ninth game, he would ultimately earn two long-awaited break points, winning the second on a double fault to sensationally keep the match alive. The Wimbledon semifinalist tied the score at 5-5 after following up his break with a hold, but Carlos Alcaraz stopped the Brit’s late comeback. The 93-minute match came to an end when the Brit was broken once more in the tight 12th game. Alcaraz currently holds seven ATP Tour titles after competing in ten finals, whereas Norrie has dropped his past three marquee competitions at the highest level, including the ASB Classic final against Richard Gasquet in January.
“I felt very comfortable playing the final,” Alcaraz spoke after his win. “I knew that it was going to be really difficult. I started really focussed on what I had to do at the beginning, my game, my level. This is the level that I have to play in finals.” “I’d like to congratulate Norrie for a great week. You are an amazing player, a really, really tough player to play against, and the most important part [is that] you are one of the best guys on [the] tour. A player and a guy I can share moments with, so it is amazing to be with you on the tour, to play against you,” Alcaraz added in a compliment to his opponent.
Norrie also praised Alcaraz during his opportunity to speak, saying: “Coming back from an injury is never simple, but it’s good to see you on the circuit once more. You were missed. I didn’t see you around much on the court, but I did miss you. Bravo for this week.”
King…
