This kid definitely has character. Like his week in Ohio, Carlos Alcaraz had to work on Saturday to get out of the Hubert Hurkacz trap, 20th at ATP. In the semi-final against the Pole in the lead service, the Murcian almost fell by the wayside, but as in the previous rounds, he had the last word in three sets (2-6, 7-6, 6-3 ) and 2h18, not without having discarded a match point at the end of the second act. Sunday, he will try to get his 7th title of the season against Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev. But this place in the final assures him anyway to keep his place of world number 1 for the US Open.
Unquestionably, Hubert Hurkacz has the tennis to cause problems for Carlos Alcaraz, at least on American hard. In three matches in Miami, Toronto last week and Cincinnati this Saturday, the Pole took two sets and took him to the tie-break five times. Yes, but hey, he lost every time, failing to even win a single decisive game. It is to say if the Murcian has this little thing in addition, this supplement of heart when the points count double. And even perhaps already, at 20, this aura that can make these opponents doubt or even tremble.
Patience and tactical adjustments: Alcaraz’s winning recipe
Because until 6-2, 5-4, 30/40, when he got an opportunity to conclude the raise, Hurkacz played the almost perfect match. But when it came time to deliver the forehand knockout on the kind of affordable ball he had hitherto negotiated very well, Hurkacz slightly unscrewed his shot. The opportunity had passed, it would never come again. The Pole did not lose the thread of his match, he even led 4 points to 1 in the tie-break. But Alcaraz managed to adapt again to win the next six points and change the game forever.
Lots of touchdowns and a volley dropped for Alcaraz
The Spaniard’s perseverance, his conviction that he was going to end up turning this showdown and his analytical skills allowed him to raise his level a notch to find the solution, while Hurkacz was on his little cloud since the first point. Extremely efficient on the raise, formidable efficiency on break points (2 converted out of 4 and 8 erased in the first two sets), the Pole seemed programmed to release an ace when he needed it. He held the dragee high at Alcaraz in the exchange thanks to an impressive ball length, while being very comfortable in the short sector.
But once back up, Alcaraz flew away. He cleverly served many more first seconds to protect himself from opposing aggression while setting his pace. He alternated more aggressive raises in the court and more distant positions to create uncertainty and his 11th break point was the right one (2-6, 7-6, 3-1). With a resounding cry, “Carlitos” expressed his joy and relief at having cracked the code of opposing engagement. This surge suggests he may have saved the best for last.