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 [June 26, 2023]
LONDON (Reuters) -Spain's Carlos Alcaraz fired a Wimbledon
warning as he comfortably beat Alex de Minaur 6-4 6-4 to claim the
Queen's Club title on Sunday and return to world number one.
In baking temperatures, the 20-year-old had too much firepower for
his wily Australian opponent as he claimed his first grasscourt
title in impressive fashion.
It was only Alcaraz's third tournament on grass, but the way he
marched through the draw augurs well for his prospects at Wimbledon,
where he will be seeded number one.
De Minaur, the first Australian to reach the London final since
Lleyton Hewitt in 2006, had chances for a break of serve when
leading 4-3 in the opening set but could not take them.
Alcaraz then broke serve in the following game before wrapping up
the set on serve.
De Minaur double-faulted to hand over a service game early in the
second set and there was no way the muscular Spaniard was going to
pass up the opportunity to notch his fifth title of 2023.
Alcaraz is the fourth Spanish player to win the prestigious
pre-Wimbledon tournament and will now hope to emulate Rafa Nadal who
triumphed at Queen's in 2008 before going on to win Wimbledon for
the first time a few weeks later.
"So many legends have won here so to see my name on the trophy
surrounded by great champions, it's amazing," reigning U.S. Open
champion Alcaraz said on court.
While Novak Djokovic remains the favourite to retain his Wimbledon
title, Alcaraz will be the top seed at the tournament, where he
reached the fourth round last year.
The way he has taken to grass, winning 10 sets in succession after
losing his first of the week at Queen's, should make him a serious
contender at the All England Club.
"I started the week not too well, but I adapted my movement and I
ended the week with a lot of energy," he said.
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Tennis - ATP 500 - Queen's Club
Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 25, 2023
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy after winning his
final match against Australia's Alex de Minaur Action Images via
Reuters/Peter Cziborra
As well as Nadal, several other players in recent
times have gone on to win Wimbledon after conquering Queen's Club,
including Andy Murray in 2013 and 2016, Pete Sampras in 1995 and
1999, and Lleyton Hewitt in 2002. Boris Becker, then a teenager,
also did the double in 1985 as a teenager.
Even 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal took a while to adapt his
game to grass, but the speed at which Alcaraz has looked at ease on
the surface is astonishing.
De Minaur is one of the craftiest lawn players in the world but he
could do nothing as Alcaraz showed great lawn skills, notably an
impressive sliced backhand when required and a confidence around the
net.
His forehand, meanwhile, was simply devastating, regularly clocking
90mph and drawing gasps from the crowd.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Christian Radnedge and Hugh
Lawson)
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