The Spaniard goes back to the Chilean to meet again with Norrie, whom he beat in Buenos Aires for the title
The British eliminated Bernabé Zapata in the semifinals
MADRID, 26 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz came back (6-7(3), 7-5, 6-0) this Saturday against the Chilean Nicolás Jarry to repeat the final at the ATP 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro, where he will face Cameron Norrie, whom He already won last Sunday in the final in Buenos Aires, after the British eliminated (6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (3)) the Spanish Bernabé Zapata.
The Brazilian soil gave the Murcian another bone in the penultimate round, a Jarry who was intractable with his serve for almost two sets. The Chilean, two meters tall, also played with self-confidence and aggressiveness, without giving rhythm to an Alcaraz who fought against the desperation of having a gunboat in front of him.
The first set was decided in a more erratic tie-break for the Spaniard, after an even start in which both took advantage of the option to break they had. Alcaraz had to take risks in the second set, after saving a compromised first game, and Jarry held on with his serve and good exchanges.
The man from El Palmar, treated on his left leg in two breaks, worked on the ‘break’, with the escapist Chilean and with big blows as well. Alcaraz pressed again to prevent another sudden death and Jarry’s serve wobbled just long enough for the Spaniard to force exchanges that yielded an incredible four points.
The champion last year in Rio claimed his place and put the crowd in his pocket by forcing the third set. There, everything had changed. Jarry seemed stripped of his vital energy, absorbed by an Alcaraz who made a ‘break’ at the start with another blow that raised the stands. The Spaniard put the direct to his tenth final, in search of his eighth title, second of 2023 after his triumphant return last week in Buenos Aires, and a 9-0 start.
In the previous session, Zapata could not extend his best tournament in the 500 category because of a Norrie also plugged into the South American tour. The Briton, finalist in the Argentine capital with the option of revenge seven days later on Brazilian soil, repeated the last step in Rio for small details against the Spaniard, who had the match close in the third set.
After an overwhelming start by Norrie (6-2), the Valencian reacted in the second set with a 0-3 run that got him into the game, with a much more reliable serve. However, in the decisive set, the Englishman took better advantage of his ‘break’ options and, in the sudden death, he was also better to win the final.