ATP Tour title winners: Alcaraz salutes to enter Top 20
IT was a huge week of tennis across the globe as the four ATP Tour tournaments were run and done. We recap the finals and who managed to salute on the weekend.
ATP TOUR
RIO OPEN
Rio de Janiero, Brazil | ATP 500 | Clay
Teenage star Carlos Alcaraz has claimed his second ATP Tour title, knocking off top seed Diego Schwartzman in the ATP 500 final at Rio de Janiero. The Spanish 18-year-old defeated Schwartzman 6-4 6-2 to add to his sole title that came at Umag last year. Alcaraz won his first ever ATP Tour match at the same tournament two years ago, and has since become a household name, cracking into the Top 20 for the first time with the win.
“I can’t believe it, honestly. It has been a great week for me playing a great level,” Alcaraz said post-match. “First tournament on clay since a long time, so I’m really happy with the performance during the whole week. It’s an amazing feeling right now.”
Unfortunately for Schwartzman, it was his second successive ATP Tour final without success after coming runner-up in Buenos Aires last week.
FINAL:
[7] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) defeated [1] Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 6-4 6-2
QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN:
Doha, Qatar | ATP 250 | Hard
Notching up his 10th ATP Tour title, experienced Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut was able to reverse the result from last year’s Qatar Open against Nikoloz Basilashvili. Having lost the final to the Georgian in 2021, the second seed was able to grind out a victory in straight sets in the 2022 addition, winning 6-3 6-4 in 86 minutes. The win not only marked his 10th overall title, but his first once since 2019.
“I am very happy,” Bautista Agut said post-match. “It has been a while since I lifted a trophy. I have been working very hard to reach another final and to get the chance to win another title. It was a big dream for me to win a title and I have now won twice in Doha. It is very special for me and I am very happy.”
FINAL:
[2] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) defeated [3] Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 6-3 6-4
DELRAY BEACH OPEN:
Delray Beach, United States | ATP 250 | Hard
It took him two tiebreakers, but Cameron Norrie was able to secure his third ATP Tour title with a straight sets win over Reilly Opelka in the Delray Beach decider. In a match that was likely always to be decided by tiebreakers given Opelka’s strength on serve, the Brit stepped up when it counted to win the tiebreakers 7-1 then 7-4. After a shaky start to 2022, Norrie has found his way win his first title of the new year and maintain his spot in the Top 15.
“I thought I played a very clean match,” Norrie said post-match. “I didn’t face a break point so that was great. I was happy with the way I played and obviously with the result.
“The tie-breaks I played extremely aggressively, the second one especially, I managed to put a couple of balls away and I was reading the play great. [I’m] super happy to get the win and beat a guy like Reilly, who is confident and playing well and won [the Dallas title] last week.”
FINAL:
[1] Cameron Norrie (GBR) defeated [2] Reilly Opelka (USA) 7-6 7-6
OPEN 13 PROVENCE:
Marseille, France | ATP 250 | Hard
Russian talent Andrey Rublev stopped fellow rising star Felix Auger-Aliassime of back-to-back ATP Tour titles, defeating the third seed Canadian in two tight sets in Marseille. The second seeded Rublev won 7-5 7-6 in an hour and 57 minutes to hold the Open 13 Provence trophy aloft, and win his ninth title. It also increased his unbeaten rate of ATP Tour finals on indoor hard courts to 5-0, whilst making Auger-Aliassime’s overall finals record 1-9.
“All the battles I have had with Felix since the first time back in 2018 have had drama,” Rublev said post-match. “All have had at least one set that went 7-6 and now he is one of the greatest players. Especially this season, he is on top now. It was a pleasure to share a court with him and have an amazing final like this.”
Remarkably, Rublev was 2-5 down in the deciding set of his first round match against Richard Gasquet, but found a way to force a tiereaker and win 7-6 in two hours and 27 minutes, and never looked back from there. Even in the final, Rublev had to come back from a break down in the first set, and then unable to capitalise off a break in the second set – then saving a set point in the 12th game – to win.
“I had to increase my level otherwise I would have had no chance against Felix,” Rublev said. “From 5-4 he started to play even better and I was thinking it would go to three sets. But somehow I was able to raise my level and in the end it was tough.”
FINAL:
[2] Andrey Rublev (RUS) defeated [3] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 7-5 7-6
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