The Spaniard had the match on track when he went limp and Norrie took advantage of it to take revenge on Buenos Aires
MADRID, 27 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz lost (5-7, 6-4, 7-5) this Sunday against the British Cameron Norrie in the final of the Rio de Janeiro tournament, of the ATP 500 category and played on clay, mainly due to an injury in the right leg suffered in the second set with everything in favor.
The Murcian grew again on the fly in the Brazilian event, with a complicated start and with the marathon both on Friday. Norrie had the first option to break but Alcaraz was improving the rest, hovering around the ‘break’ until he became a set in favor with 5-7.
Alcaraz, who beat the British a week ago in the final in Buenos Aires, put the direct in the second set but after making it 3-1 the discomfort in his right leg began. From there and with a brief intervention from the physio, the Spaniard lost four games in a row, frustrated by the setback.
The eight games in two weeks, the first of 2023 after more than 100 days away with two injuries, took their toll on an Alcaraz who remained on the track but lame. Thus, the Murcian did not want exchanges and launched his right without regard. Norrie also had to play his ballot and forced the third set (6-4).
The direct play of the Spanish gave him a ‘break’ at the start in the final set, but again the Englishman kept his cool to do damage where Alcaraz suffered. The champion clung to the track, walking but with quality shots, removing the bandage from his leg because it didn’t seem to help at all.
At the key moment, Norrie was successful with first serves and further complicated the response of an Alcaraz who was thinking about a new injury, in the same area as his loss at the Australian Open. The one from El Palmar, who aspired to equal Novak Djokovic for number one in the world to win, was dethroned in Rio.