Carlos Alcaraz overcame a first-set hammering to beat Novak Djokovic in a thrilling match to claim his first Wimbledon title at the age of 20.
The rollercoaster final at SW19 saw the top seed bounce back to triumph 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, against a player who had won the past four editions of the tournament. Sunday’s showdown featured a staggering 25-minute Djokovic service game in which Alcaraz broke in front of an animated crowd who was cheering the youngster on with chants of ‘Carlos, Carlos.’ In total, the two battled on court for four hours and 42 minutes in what was one of the longest-ever title matches to take place.
“It’s a dream come true for me. I said before it would have been so good to win but even if would have lost I would be really proud of myself,” Alcaraz said afterward.
“Making history in this beautiful tournament, playing a final against a legend of the sport. It’s a dream come true.’
“It is unbelievable to play in these stages. It’s amazing for a boy – 20 years-old – I didn’t expect to reach this situation really fast.
“I am really proud of myself, I am really proud of the team and the work we put in every day to be able to lift this (trophy).”
Djokovic, who was targeting a record-equalling eighth title, got off to a perfect start with the help of some costly errors coming across the court from Alcaraz. Utilizing his extensive defensive skills, he surged to a 5-0 lead with relative ease. It wasn’t until 31 minutes into the match that Alcaraz had something to celebrate after holding for the first time which promoted a huge roar from the crowd. However, the damage was already done by the second seed who closed the opener out on his first set point by hitting a smash.
It was shortly after that Djokovic’s problems started to unfold. The wind was proving to be causing his problems with his serving, Alcaraz was starting to find his footing and the Center Court crowd was much more vocal in their support for the Spaniard. So much so that even Djokovic was toying with them and at one stage encouraged them to cheer louder for him. Quite a surreal scenario when you consider he is the most decorated Grand Slam player in the history of men’s tennis.
The tension was high throughout the second set when Alcaraz broke early on for a 2-0 before getting pegged back. There was little to separate the two heading into what turned out to be a dramatic tiebreak. Djokovic received a time violation whilst down 4-5 but still managed to hold. Two points later a backhand down the line set him up for a two-set lead but he failed to convert. Paving the way for Alcaraz to work his way to a set point which he converted with a blistering passing shot.
Read full article – https://www.ubitennis.net/2023/07/carlos-alcaraz-beats-seven-time-champion-djokovic-in-epic-to-win-wimbledon/
