Carlos Alcaraz, back in roaring business after some injury woes, has made his first Italian Open final with a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) victory over Lorenzo Musetti at Rome’s Foro Italico.
It’s a third final in three clay-court events this season for Alcaraz, who won the Monte Carlo Masters and finished runner-up in the Barcelona Open before withdrawing from the Madrid Open because of injury.
A four-time grand slam champion already by the age of just 22, Alcaraz is preparing to defend his title at the French Open, starting at the end of next week.
And he appears to be playing himself back into top form as he sets up the prospect of a final on Sunday against either returning world No.1 Jannik Sinner or No.12 Tommy Paul, who were playing in the night session at the Foro Italico on Friday.
Sinner had cranked up his level to near-perfection in a a 6-0 6-1 rout of Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals on Thursday, which left Alcaraz admitting: “Everybody saw the game … it’s a huge level.
“If I’m playing against Jannik, I have to be ready for that battle and obviously dealing with the crowd, so it’s going to be an interesting Sunday for sure.”
Alcaraz had withdrawn from the Madrid Open with an upper right leg issue and also had a left leg injury. In Rome, he has been wearing a long black brace covering the upper portion of his right leg stretching down to just below his knee.
Musetti took the first set off Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo final but, in front of a partisan crowd on the Campo Centrale, the Spaniard broke the Italian’s serve in the first game of the rematch.
Musetti didn’t help himself with a series of unforced errors and only began pushing Alcaraz at the end of the set. He was also docked a point for misbehaviour late in the second set after having already received a warning for breaking his racquet.
Alcaraz is playing the Italian Open for the second time. During his Rome debut last year, he lost to then-135th-ranked Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan in the third round as he dealt with a bothersome right forearm injury.
