After the consolation of his opponent and the adoption of his team at the end of another successful week on the tour, Carlos Alcaras There is only one thought on the mind. He immediately looked for a couple of scissors to finally remove the extensive bandage, tightly wrapped around the left ankle.
Starting his week in Tokyo, having thrown an ankle and not sure of whether he, Alkaras, ATF No. 1, ended it with his eighth title of season, when he overcame an energetic battle with the physically difficult Taylor Fritz to the triumph in Japan to open from 6-4, 6-4.
During the first few years of his career, even despite the fact that he continued to win the largest titles with higher speed than almost any other male player in history, the relative inconsistency of Alcaras was the dominant narrative related to his career. He turned to this criticism, collecting one of the greatest seasons of the last decade, which restored him as the best player in the world.
Alkaras currently reached nine finals in a row, winning seven titles on all three surfaces and setting a record of 66-6 (92%) at separate events this year. At the age of only 22 years, six -time Grand Slam champion and world No. 1 now won 24 ATP titles.
Last week was especially complicated. Four games in his first round against Sebastian Baeaz, Alcaras threw the left ankle. When he tried to overcome the pain and find the way through this match, he was not sure if he could continue. Although Alcaras played the rest of the tournament with his ankle, he moved with growing freedom in every match.
During his victorious speech, Alkaras thanked his physio Juanjo Moreno. “Starting a week is not very good, with an ankle, and the way I returned from playing such an excellent tournament, great matches, I am just very happy about this,” he said.
Fritz, the world No. 4 and the second seed, entered this final with a sufficient reason to believe that he could win after he convincingly won the Spaniard for the first time last week at the Laver Cup, where the American played one of the best tennis in his career and led the world to victory. However, with an individual name on the line, Alcaras clearly performed at a much higher level from the very beginning.
Although Fritz opened the match, using his destructive first presentation, playing confidently attackers on tennis and having worked his early maintenance games, Alcaras gradually took control of basic exchanges. He dominated with his blow, at present, the largest weapon on the tour, he exposed the middle movement of the American with his shots, and he absorbed Fritz's first blow with his own impressive movement.
Alcaras also criticized Judge Fergus Murphy in the first set after receiving a time violation at the end of a long point. “What do you think is it normal that I am finishing a long point in the grid, and then I barely have time to go to balls, without rest time? Do you think this is normal or not? Ok, you never played tennis in your life, ”said Alcaras.
After his first service at the end of the first set, Fritz called the coach, and he received a medical time for his left thigh. He clearly fought his movement throughout the second set, and he could not push his left leg when he pulled out in the corners. Even with full health, to defeat Alcaras in its current form is a monumental problem. It was just too much here.
Nevertheless, Fritz boldly continued to fight, and, not for the first time in his career, Alcaras began to lose his attention against his difficult enemy. Of the 5-1 in the second set, Alkaras instead was desperate to try to hold 5-4, 15-30. He demonstrated his confidence in the last moments, restoring his composure exactly when he needed it, amazing three consistent winners from 15-30 to close another victory.
