Alcaraz defeats Korda at Queen’s and will play in his sixth final of the year

Carlos Alcaraz’s statements in which he assures that, when he retires, he will have won Wimbledon, may sound like a ghost to many athletes, but not to him. Because with barely a dozen games played on this surface, it’s hard not to put Murcian among the main favorites this year and the third Grand Slam season and, in the future, one of the great dominators of English grass.

His victory against American Sebastian Korda (6-3, 6-4) shows the continued rise he has made in a brilliant week in London. From arriving with no expectations to fulfilling all, for Alcaraz who can win this Sunday (14:30, Movistar Sports), against the Australian Álex de Miñaur, his fifth title of the season and the first on grass in his sports career.

The semi-final against Korda was another exercise of incredible superiority and self-confidence of a tennis player who, until a few days ago, did not know what it was like to play on grass officially outside of the All England Club. However, in one of the most historic tournaments, Alcaraz is just one match away from writing his name on the wooden wall that welcomes the English club, which currently has only three Spaniards: Andrés Gimen, who beat Roy Emerson in 1960, Rafael Nadal, who in 2008 he beat Novak Đoković, and Feliciano López, who won against Marin Čilić in 2017 and against Gilles Simon in 2019.

Korda was more than enough argument to question Alcaraz’s possibility of entering this selected group, because he was launched, with three consecutive victories against specialists and without a lost set, and because he knew what it was like to beat the Spaniard; He succeeded in Monte Carlo in 2022.

And the start was somewhat reminiscent of that afternoon in the Principality, when Korda, son of the legendary Czech Petr Korda, champion of Australia and US Open finalist, mounted the Spaniard’s serve and broke it at the first opportunity. A statement of intent that didn’t make the Spanish back down. He quickly recovered, saved five break points with a limp serve, as many as his opponent, and took the duel to his court, where he plays not only the racket, but also the head.

clinical eye

The Spaniard showed an overwhelming hunger and a keen eye for spotting the weaknesses of his prey. After the tidal wave of opportunities for both had passed and the balance came to the match, Alcaraz cooled his thoughts, rationalized his movements and overwhelmed the American who faded away.

The tennis player from El Palmar broke the first set and accelerated in the second, avoiding the lags of the previous days that gave opportunities to his rivals. This time, with the first set in his backpack, he did not concede a single break point. He decisively closed the way for one of his generation, one of those tennis players called to fight for the scepter for him.

Not yet, with Alcaraz just one game behind Novak Djokovic and number one on the Wimbledon list. If De Minaur, who defeated Holger Rune in straight sets, does not stop him, Alcaraz will become the fourth Spaniard to win at Queen’s. This Sunday will be the second match against the Australian who squandered two match points in the semi-final they both played at Conde de Godó in 2022.