By Fernando Kallas
MADRID (Reuters) – World number two Carlos Alcaraz beat lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4 3-6 6-3 in the Madrid Open final on Sunday to defend last year’s title and win his fourth ATP Tour trophy of the year and his tenth overall.
Alcaraz, who had an injury-plagued start to the season, came back in top form last month to win the Barcelona Open for the second consecutive year.
In Madrid, the 20-year-old Spaniard had to play his best tennis to beat a relentless Struff in three sets in a packed Caja Magica.
Alcaraz enjoyed a dream start to the match, breaking Struff’s serve in the first game. The German fought back to return the favour in the fourth but the Spaniard produced another break and closed the set 6-4.
Struff’s aggressive returns helped him to rush to a 3-0 lead in the second set, which he took 6-3, but Alcaraz woke up in the third, breaking to lead 3-1 and taking the set 6-3.
The victory was the fourth ATP Masters 1000 trophy for Alcaraz, who became the youngest world number one last September when he won the U.S. Open.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; editing by Clare Fallon)
