[Sport] Alcaraz defeats De Miñaur and wins the Rotterdam tournament

[- !el Catire *O*]

 

 

Carlos Alcaraz has acquired the good and healthy habit of winning the final once he has reached it. He rarely forgives. It happens again in Rotterdam, where the Murcia native beat Alex de Minaur 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, breaking a metaphorical ceiling - his first indoor title - and achieving what was denied to Juan Carlos Ferrero and Rafael Nadal, frustrated finalists in 2004 and 2009, respectively. Very demanding at the start of Tuesday and also in this last installment of the week in Holland, the Spaniard finally defeats an opponent who cannot get into the group of the strongest - the Australian has never been able to beat a top-10 player in a decisive duel - and celebrates the seventeenth title of his career, the first of this season. He savours it with pleasure, sparks off it. He wanted to express it: yes, he can also shine indoors.

Alcaraz actually has more than enough attributes to do it. He is fast like few others, has agility and reflexes, his maneuvers are very reactive and he does not lack intuition; we have heard of his repertoire of shots since he was a child. Until now, he had been unable to win the prize in a complex and dizzying environment, in some way, against the nature of the Spanish tennis player, always eager for sand and sun, but finally he declares victory and continues to unlock all the boxes, knocking down walls in a natural way. Sooner or later, it had to happen. At 21 years old, the Murcian already knows what it is to win on clay, grass and hard, outdoors or indoors, tournaments of all categories. This is his sixth ATP 500 - the third step, behind the greats and the thousands - and it takes place in Rotterdam, where he had never paraded until now.

Link: https://elpais.com/deportes/tenis/2025-02-09/alcaraz-vence-a-de-minaur-y-conquista-el-torneo-de-roterdam.html