Rio Open: Carlos Alcaraz knocks down the giant Jarry in Rio and already breathes Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz will play his tenth final as a professional this Sundaythe second of the Open River and the eighth on clay.

The world number two had to squeeze himself to the maximum to end the resistance of Nicolás Jarry 6-7(2), 7-5 and 6-0, in 2 hours and 42 minutes.

A priori, Jarry, number 139 on the ATP and coming from the previous one, seemed like the right rival. However, the Chilean hid a potential that he already uncovered in 2019, where it reached number 39 on the lists thanks to results such as the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell and its first and only title in Bastad.

In 13 minutes, the result was 3-0 for Nicolás, who in 2020 was suspended after testing positive in an action that was considered involuntary doping.

Alcaraz finally released his game box and was encouraged with the support of the stands of the central Gustavo Kuerten. He had the mission of recovering the lost service against a giant of 1.98 meters that he had decanted in his favor the five commitments of Rio without losing a set.

The Chilean tennis player had left four tournament champions on brick dust along the way: Juan Manuel Cerundolo (Cordoba), Lorenzo Musetti (Hamburg), Pedro Martinez (Santiago de Chile) and Sebastian Baez (Cordoba and Estoril)..

The pupil of the Barcelonan Juan Ozonwho has one of his bases in the Next Level Tennis Turó academy, was confident in his good form.

Jarry, immense at serve with speeds over 220 kilometers per hour, he had shown himself untouchable until it was time to close the opening sleeve with a favorable 5-3. He faltered then and his opponent broke him blank. He signed the draw at five games and the outcome went to sudden death.

After having done the most difficult thing, the defender of the crown fell in the ‘tie break’. Alcaraz had to come back, something he had already done in the second round with Fabio Fognini.

a key situation

The tennis player from El Palmar is a winner by nature and was going to fight until the end. He demonstrated it by saving a 0-40 and a fourth breaking point with a second-serve ‘ace’ in the opening game of the second set.

Equality was maintained. With 5-4, Carlitos requested the presence of the physical therapist, who checked his left leg. He would reappear later to give her a massage.

Jarry, to his own, took advantage of his size to close many plays on the net. The Murcian did not want to reach a second ‘tie break’ and took the set from his side in the twelfth round.

The soccer fans were having a great time. The US Open champion increased the power of his service, with points of 222 kilometers per hour. And he put one more gear that his victim couldn’t keep up with. Alcaraz would chain eight games.

Cameron Norrie awaits, starting at 9:30 p.m., in the repetition of the final of the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club. It hasn’t happened that two same players faced each other in consecutive weeks since Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray clashed for the Mutua Madrid Open and Rome trophy, in 2016.

Djokovic, getting closer

Novak Djokovic, who returns to competition this Monday at the Dubai Open 500, is already looking in the rear-view mirror because the brand new finalist from Rio is only 200 points away from tying him at the top of the ranking. The Serbian would stay one more week at the top by having a higher score in the mandatory tournaments.