Alcaraz makes the grass his own, defeats Korda and will play against De Miñaur in the Queen's final

Sixth final of the year. fourteenth of his career. This time it will be at the Queen's ATP 500, in his tournament debut, where Carlos Alcaraz will seek his eleventh title, which would be against Alex de Miñaur, who beat Holger Rune 6-3, 7-6 (2). the fifth in 2023 after winning in Indian Wells, Madrid, Barcelona and Buenos Aires. First attempt on grass, a fairly unexplored space for the man who, if he prevails in this Sunday's match, will return to number 1 and will arrive as such at Wimbledon on July 3. Sebastian Korda also surrendered to the skills of the Spaniard, who won 6-3, 6-4, in one hour and 21 minutes.

Alcaraz imposes. also in grass. How could a player who has achieved what he has achieved at just 20 years of age not do it, even though he is almost a neophyte on this surface?. If Grigor Dimitrov made two double faults in his first service turn in the quarterfinals, Korda committed three, having previously collected the Spaniard's service.

Korda, 22, could be one of those players nominated to argue head-on with Alcaraz. Contemporaries, they met for the first time in the final of the 2021 Next Gen ATP Finals, with a clear victory for the Spaniard, they did it again the following season in Monte Carlo, where the American won, and weeks later at Roland Garros, with victory from Alcaraz. Korda, 32nd, has weapons, but his pace has slowed also due to injuries. He reappeared at the Madrid Masters after injuring his right wrist at the Australian Open.

childish delight

It gives the impression that Alcaraz has begun to lose respect for the grass. At times, he moves with the same dexterity as on any other surface, making it the surface that is subjected to the excellence of his game.. he has a good time. He does not internalize the experience as a drink that must be assumed if one wants to consecrate himself as a great tennis player, but instead searches, tries things, plays, understanding the verb here as full childish delight.

This was done in a first set where Korda tried to show his teeth. especially to the rest, when his opponent did not hit the first. The North American appeared spotless in the semifinals, without giving up a single set, until he ran into Alcaraz, who, after the difficulties of his debut against Arthur Rinderknech, has gained cruising speed.

“Best in every game”

The early break in the second set fired the tennis player from El Palmar, convinced that he had undermined his opponent's confidence, which increased his already exaggerated number of unforced errors. Alcaraz managed his harvest well and if he beats Miñaur, whom he defeated last year in the Conde de Godó semifinals after neutralizing two match points, he will recover number 1 to the detriment of Novak Djokovic, who defeated him in the Roland Garros semifinals.

“I feel better in each game, as if I had been playing on grass for 10 years,” he commented at the foot of the track after the conclusion of the semifinal. “Reaching Wimbledon as world number 1 would be a dream, it's extra motivation.”