Lifting the Royal Trophy would be a great achievement for Carlos Alcaraz, who is only playing his third tournament on grass. PA/Steven Paston
Carlos Alcaraz is ready to snatch world number one from Novak Djokovic after reaching his first grass final at the Queen's Club.
The 20-year-old Alcaraz convincingly beat Sebastian Korda on Saturday, which he called the «best match on grass» of his career. This not only gave him the opportunity to win his first title on his least favorite surface, but also to overtake Djokovic in the world rankings just in time for Wimbledon in what the Spaniard called a “beautiful fight.”
That would be great a result, especially when you consider that Alcaraz had a big dose of humble pie at the French Open last month when the pressure of facing Djokovic left him with severe cramps and physical problems.
By beating Alcaraz in this semi-final to win his 23rd Grand Slam trophy, Djokovic has given him back the top spot, but the youngster is already eyeing a return to the top.
If he can beat Aussie Alex de Minor in the final Queens on Sunday, he will again be No. 1 as well as the first seed at Wimbledon.
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“Honestly, at the start of the week I didn't know I could regain first place,” Alcaraz said after a 6-3 6-4 win in the semi-finals. «But when I won [on Friday] at the press conference, they told me and I was like, 'Oh my God, that's extra motivation.' Now it's something in my head. I'm going to go for it. To be the top seed at Wimbledon, #1 is a dream….”
“I think Novak and I have a great fight for first place,” he added. «It [would] be crazy for me to be the first seed at Wimbledon.»
Alcaraz is the sport's most exciting young talent, but he still insisted earlier in the week that he «has no expectations.» at Queen's due to his inexperience on grass. In the first round, he narrowly slipped past world No. 83 Arthur Rinderknech in the decisive tie-break, gliding clumsily across the grass at certain points in the match
Queen's is only the third grass tournament he's ever played, so he's had a lot to learn. But the buzz around Alcaraz's recreational tennis is contagious, and on Saturday — in just his 10th tour-level match on the surface — he surprised even himself with how much control he had as he recovered from an early break in the pitch to dominate the tall figure. Korda.
Charlie is in control 😎@carlosalcaraz plays first set against Korda 6-3 in London.#cinchChampionships pic.twitter.com/CnSxQDwz7z
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 24, 2023
“I feel better with every match,” he beamed during an on-court interview. “I feel like I've been playing grass for 10 years, it's crazy for me. I didn't expect to adapt my game to grass so quickly. I am very happy about it.”
“To be honest, I myself was surprised at the level at which I now play,” he later added. «How I feel on the court, I didn't expect to feel it in just six days.»
His words, as well as his game, will be ominous for those involved in the Wimbledon draw. US Open champion Alcaraz has already spent the past calendar year cultivating the aura and results that put him first in line to win the Big Three, but few considered him dangerous on grass, as he has proven over the past six days.
In contrast, it took 22-year-old Korda just two wins this week to declare himself «one of the favorites» at Wimbledon. He missed most of the season with a wrist injury, but spent a dominant week on grass, including edging out UK No. 1 Cameron Norrie.
However, he didn't reach the same level on Saturday, committing six double faults (four of which were in his first two games on the pitch), and was constantly hit by break points and couldn't match his opponent's relentless energy.
< p>Alcaraz, meanwhile, was really unleashing, playing a smooth tennis game that was so much fun to watch, swinging explosive right hand shots towards Korda. He showed confidence at key moments, including serving for the match, using the old-fashioned volley service tactic and showing off his incredible touch at the net when it mattered.
Though Alcaraz calls de Minor a «favourite» in final, thanks to his excellent experience on grass, the Spaniard is a proven contender. This is already his 15th ATP final and he has won 11 of the previous 14.
Alcaraz's compatriot Rafael Nadal took three attempts to win the Queen's and ended up capturing the title in 2008 . that same year he won his first Wimbledon title, which could have been a positive omen for Alcaraz.
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