MADRID, 20 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz conquered this Sunday the second title in his professional career by beating the Argentine Diego Schwartzman in two sets by 6-4, 6 in the final of the tournament in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), which was played on clay. -two.
In this way, the 18-year-old Murcian closes a great week where he has been able to get rid of the first seed, the Italian Matteo Berrettini, and the third, the ‘Peque’, an expert ‘earthling’ who did not have excessive options in the end. His triumph, on the same stage where he achieved his first ATP victory in 2020, makes him the youngest champion of a 500 category tournament.
Alcaraz, champion already on the clay of Umag (Croatia) and of the ATP ‘NextGen’ event in 2021, continues to confirm the good expectations that are placed on him and completed a good weekend for national tennis, winner also on the hard court of Doha thanks to Roberto Bautista.
And the pupil of Juan Carlos Ferreno did not notice in excess the effort of having had to play two games on Saturday, one of great demand against Berrettini, and dismantled a Schwartzman who did not find his best tennis to deactivate the Spanish, launched in the second sleeve.
The Argentine started better and was up 2-0 after breaking Alcaraz’s first serve, but Alcaraz reacted quickly to recover the deficit and equalize the final. With the serves prevailing, the man from Murcia pressed at 4-4 and broke again to take an advantage that he would not waste to win the first set.
The Murcian would break again as soon as the second round began and although Schwartzman recovered instantly, he conceded four games in a row against a rival already full of morale and confidence and who finished the duel without problems and lifted a title that will boost him to the ‘Top 20 ‘ this Monday.
In addition, on the indoor hard court in Marseille (France), Russian Andrey Rublev was proclaimed champion by beating Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5, 7-6(4), while in Delray Beach (United States), the winner was the British Cameron Norrie against the American Reilly Opelka (7-6, 7-6), Rafa Nadal’s first rival this week in Acapulco (Mexico).