The world number two took 3 hours and 48 minutes to defeat his executioner at Wimbledon. 5-7, 7-6(7) and 7-6(4) the score in favor of the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
A month and four days after playing in the Wimbledon final, Alcaraz and Djokovic found themselves on a tennis court. It was no longer London grass, but Ohio cement. Totally different scenarios, which also meant a change of scenario. This time it was the Serb who raised his arms and carried the trophy home. This is the third time he has done so in his career.
And the sensations were not so different from those experienced at the All England Club. Exhausting match, the two players playing at a high level and sharing the limelight. For example, in the first set, the Balkan man started better, but when he had the opportunity to take advantage of it, the opposite happened. In the seventh he broke and was 4-2 and serve. An opportunity that was not taken advantage of by the former world number one, as not only did they return the punishment immediately, but while he was serving five equals he suffered a break again. It was a pivotal moment, which drowned Djokovic physically and tennistically.
The physical problem was obvious, as once he lost the set 7-5, Djoko showed some serious issues. With 33 degrees in the city and a wind chill of 36, he was completely overwhelmed by the conditions, having to call the doctor when he lost serve again, now in the third game of the second set. “I’m dizzy, I have a headache” were among the dialogues captured by the TV show. For Nole, it was the first duel of the entire championship that he had to play during the day, since his other fourth matches were at night.
A situation that had an impact on the head of Alcaraz. Although it has more energy and dynamism than the Balkan one, this feeling of having everything in its favor has brought it down. So much so that he suffered a break that left all four equal and breathed new life into the 23-time Grand Slam champion. Nole did not dominate. But he wasn’t the dominated player at the start of the set either.
Thus, the partial was defined in the tie-break. A climax without margin, where both showed their best tennis and where they had to dispute 14 points to be able to have a winner. It’s Djokovic, who has won 13 of his last 14 tie-breaks. What has he lost? Against Alcaraz at Wimbledon.
With the very conditions, Nole advanced. Knowing that he had already gotten rid of a match point on the counter in the second, motivated him to go further and manage the duel and the lap times. Alcaraz, increasingly frustrated, fell in the match and could not hold his serve. They broke him in the seventh game of the last set, jeopardizing his chance to win the fifth Masters 1000 of his career.
But nothing should be taken for granted and it was when the ten-time Australian champion served for the championship it was smashed. A dramatic match that lasted more than 11 minutes and had match points and break points. It all tied at 5-5 and still a tough game. This time a little over nine minutes.
It could not be otherwise. After more than 3 hours and 38 minutes, the match between the two best tennis players on the planet ended in a tie-break. The one that started with a double fault from Carlos Alcaraz, which made it 3-0 for the Serb and ended 7-4.
Djokovic got his revenge in Ohio. He did it with a grueling 5-7, 7-6(7) and 7-6(4) victory in 3 hours and 48 minutes of play. Special crown for the Serb, with only a week for his return to New York, after two years of absence at the US Open. There, he will be able to become world number one again.
Gauff champion at home
Before the duel between the Spaniard and the Serbian, the main field of Cincinnati received the two finalists of the women’s draw. They were North American Cori Gauff (7th WTA) and Karolina Muchova, both looking for their first Masters 1000 title.
The winner was Gauff, who secured his third trophy of the year and fifth of his career. Undoubtedly the most important, both by category, setting and game. It was a dream week for the Georgian, managing to beat Iga Swiatek for the first time in the semi-finals. Before Saturday’s duel, the American had lost seven times in a row to the world number one.
Victory that gave him a boost to overcome the Czech without problems, completing the victory by 6-3 and 6-4. This Monday, she will be in sixth place in the world rankings and as one of the favorites for the US Open, the last major of the season.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
