Some days you win and other days you learn a lesson. A Carlos Alcaraz He had the second after falling in the final of the Hamburg Open against Lorenzo Musetti, the young Italian much more whole in general terms during the match, despite the fact that Alcaraz signed a masterpiece in terms of survival in the second set. Even in his darkest days, the born competitor does not negotiate and always has the intention of biting. Up to six match balls he needed Musetti to knock down the Murcian and after much insistence, he won the first title of his career. The circuit has a new rising star.
Alcaraz began with an extra loose arm, the land of Hamburg was too small for him. The ball regularly crossed the line and Musetti breathed easy, relieved and bravely celebrated his rival’s mistakes, which gave him a slight advantage at the start of the duel for the German title. The Spanish did not find regularity and only his genius gave him some air. Alcaraz is a barrel of dynamite and it seems that he needs a spark to start tearing down walls, and it was his own failures that lit the fuse. Little by little he gained height, the gestures were softer and more deadly. The second and third games were theirs with overwhelming superiority. Serious face of the young promise, there was no mischievous smile on his face as in the previous rounds. A title was at stake and the best version of him, sportingly and mentally, was required.
The Italian solved Alcaraz’s serve well, the Murcian did not find a way to break his opponent first, but when he managed to move him along the bottom line at will. The public applauded even the ball boys, delighted to witness the first duel between two of the brightest promises in the firmament, 19 years for the Spaniard and 20 for the transalpine. Both were the delight of those present because the match ran on a thread, very even and brave, with a western soul, because the wind raised dust, as in the classic duels of outlaws of the West. Musetti dressed as a bandit and stole Alcaraz’s serve, who after the initial flashes languished a bit against the Italian, more incisive with his tennis. He defended himself as best he could Ferrero’s pupil, who pressed against the baseline tried to return the missiles that came from the other side of the track. He squeezed and finally Musetti He took the first prize of the evening. The equation of victory now required epic for Alcaraz.
It was time to risk and each point became a Vietnam. He pressed Alcaraz to reverse the situation and Musetti did not give an inch. He needed the Spanish of his best repertoire and the instructions of his trainer to stay alive in the fight, but he could not find solutions and began to get mad with the serious performance of the Italian. The first successful dropshot came in game 12. Something was wrong. Alcaraz was emptied but there was no benefit, there was no reward, only forceful incursions into the territory that he defended. Musetti overwhelmed with his serve and his victory was close.
There was final arreón, the skin on El Palmar it is sold expensive. Alcaraz reflected on the bench, after putting the 3-4 on the scoreboard in the second set, strategies to change the course radically. His rival hardly showed weakness and the Spanish ship already had too many holes after the battle. He gave the impression that he surrendered to the mantra of cholismo, game by game, point by point in this case. It was in the short-distance combat that allowed Alcaraz to prolong the duel to unsuspected limits. After a great final set, the tie break, a specialty of the Spaniard, would dictate sentence: either resurrection or return home. An epic finale at the top, with both tennis players at a stratospheric level, breaking the tradition that prudence rules in the abyss. The Murcian grew up, he began to believe that there was life in the afterlife. His drop shots multiplied, an unequivocal sign that he was back in shape, but Musetti followed him in the slipstream, not allowing him to open a gap. Despite unforced errors, he managed to prevail. The duel gained an extra life and Alcaraz covered his ear as a reproach towards the non-practitioners.
In the third and final set, Musetti seemed untouched by the missed opportunity. Carrara had had up to five match points, a statistic that did not prevent him from continuing on his way to the first title of his career. Alcaraz was not far behind either, much more complete after the viacrucis, in the race more for heart than for tennis, yes, and with the transalpine much more stable, without too many frills but with many aces up his sleeve in each game. Great finale, absolutely dignified and passionate, tight as any tournament with a certain pedigree demands. A give and take of regulations between two precocious rackets that threatened to need a photo finish to determine the winner. Finally, the sixth time was the charm. Musetti touched glory for the first time and Alcaraz ran into a stone in his brilliant season.
