Tennis: Alcaraz into Madrid final on 20th birthday, faces lucky loser Struff

MADRID, Spain -- Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his 20th birthday on Friday by reaching the Madrid Open final, likening himself to "a bull" in his straight sets win over Borna Coric.

The world number two was at his best to defeat the Croatian 6-4, 6-3.

He will face Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff, the world number 65, who had originally been knocked out in qualifying before winning a reprieve, in Sunday's final.

Alcaraz said he called upon some of the inner motivation which helped him triumph at the US Open in New York last year when he captured his maiden Grand Slam crown.

"There was a moment when I repeated what I repeated at the US Open, that I'm a bull, and that I could do it, and it helped me," he explained.

Alcaraz, reaching his fourth Masters 1000 final, broke for a 3-2 lead in a tight first set and served it out.

He broke for 2-1 in the second set and after world number 20 Coric immediately hit back, did so again for a 3-2 lead, which he consolidated.

Alcaraz sealed the match with another break when Coric went long, ensuring he reached the final only dropping one set en route, against Emil Ruusuvuori.

The top seed was able to celebrate with a birthday cake, offered to him by the tournament organisers after his victory.

The only dampener for Alcaraz was news that Spanish compatriot and 22-time major winner Rafael Nadal would miss next week's Italian Open through injury.

Nadal hasn't played since the Australian Open in January due to a hip injury and is now a serious doubt for the French Open in three weeks' time and where the 36-year-old has been champion on 14 occasions.

- 'World wants Nadal' -

"I hope to see him at Roland Garros 100 percent. The world wants to see him at 100 percent," said Alcaraz.

Struff, 33, made only his second career final by defeating Russia's Aslan Karatsev who had beaten him in qualifying last weekend.

However, having been allocated a place in the main draw after injury pull-outs, Struff avenged that loss in Friday's semi-final.

He came from a set down to see off 121st-ranked Karatsev 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and become the first 'lucky loser' to go all the way to a Masters final.

Struff, whose only other final appearance resulted in a runner-up finish in Munich in 2021, claimed victory on a fifth match point.

He fired 37 winners including 15 aces in his two-hour 19-minute win.

"It's amazing," Struff said. "I played one final before in Munich but there was no crowd because of Covid."

Struff and Alcaraz have met twice before -- the German winning in straight sets at the French Open in 2021 before the flamboyant Spaniard claimed a five-setter at Wimbledon last year.

- 'I have to go for it' -

"We played an amazing match at Wimbledon and I was very close to beating him but he pulled off unbelievable shots," Struff said.

"This is going to be different. This is in Spain, in Madrid. I think he is 20-0 on Spanish clay courts, so it is going to be very tough. I have to go for it otherwise I will have no chance."

Struff, who upset fifth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals, was the third lucky loser to reach the semi-finals at a Masters 1000 event, joining Thomas Johansson in Toronto in 2004 and Lucas Pouille in Rome in 2016.

The Madrid women's final between the world number one Iga Swiatek and number two, Aryna Sabalenka, takes place on Saturday.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Alcaraz earns Zverev revenge, Medvedev out of Madrid Open

MADRID, Spain -- World number two Carlos Alcaraz breezed past Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 to reach the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Third-ranked Daniil Medvedev crashed out against Russian compatriot Aslan Karatsev, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, while Stefanos Tsitsipas eased through against Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-3, 6-1.

In the women's competition world number two Aryna Sabalenka was forced to sweat by Mayar Sherif but eventually came through 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals.

Top-seeded Spaniard Alcaraz, who also beat Zverev in last season's Madrid final, gained revenge for the German's triumph when they met later in the 2022 French Open quarter-finals.

Two-time Madrid winner Zverev, 26, was blown away in the opening set. He improved a little in the second but not sufficiently to trouble Alcaraz, who moved his opponent around at will.

"I played at a great level, I didn't let him dominate, I went on the attack the whole time, and above all, I returned really well," said Alcaraz, who won in one hour 22 minutes.

"I played a complete game, and that's how we have this result -- but it's not a normal result against (Zverev)."

The US Open champion dropped just two points in the first set in his near-immaculate service games, and put strong pressure on the German's serve.

Alcaraz converted his third break point to take a 2-0 lead in the 11-minute second game, before wresting another from Zverev for 5-1, consolidating to take the set.

The duo traded blows on serve at the start of the second set before Alcaraz carved out a break for 3-2 when Zverev sent a forehand return wide.

Alcaraz again broke for a 5-2 lead with a neat forehand down the line and triumphed on serve when Zverev batted a return long.

In the last eight, the Murcian will face Karen Khachanov who dispatched Andrey Rublev 7-6 (10/8), 6-4 in another all-Russian battle.

Medvedev, second seed in the Spanish capital, has admitted he struggles on clay and fell to another defeat against Karatsev on the dirt, as he did in Rome two seasons ago.

Karatsev triumphed comfortably in the first set tie-break, his ball striking immaculate throughout the clash, hitting 28 winners to just four unforced errors.

Ranked 121st in the world, the qualifier broke the 2021 US Open winner for 3-2 in the second set and only dropped two points on his serve after that to progress.

"Feeling great, playing well, I just have to focus every match. I'll be preparing for the next round," said Karatsev.

He will face Zhizhen Zhang, who became the first Chinese player to reach the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000 event.

Zhang eked out a nailbiting victory over world number 10 Taylor Fritz, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (10/8).

World number five Tsitsipas will face lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff, who saw off Pedro Cachin 7-6 (9/7), 6-7 (7/9), 6-3.

The other quarter-final pits Croatian Borna Coric, ranked 20th, against Germany's Daniel Altmaier.

- Slow start -

Australian Open champion Sabalenka struggled badly at first against Sherif but turned the two-hour match around convincingly to reach the semi-finals.

"I was just trying to keep fighting to keep playing my game and find my rhythm," said Sabalenka.

"She's a clay court specialist and I'm very happy with this win. It was a very tough one."

Sherif, the first Egyptian to reach a WTA 1000 quarter-final, capitalized on Sabalenka's erratic start to break in the first game.

The 26-year-old became the first player to take a set off Sabalenka in Madrid.

However the Belarusian, 24, bounced back strongly, converting all four of her break points in the second set and hitting 10 winners to Sherif's one to force a third.

The 2021 Madrid winner was a break down at 2-1 in the second but won 11 of the next 12 games, dominating her opponent in the third set.

Sabalenka will face Greek world number nine Maria Sakkari after she came from behind to beat Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2 in the second quarter-final.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Andreeva through in Madrid Open on 16th birthday, Gauff crashes

MADRID, Spain -- Mirra Andreeva celebrated her 16th birthday by continuing her sensational run in the Madrid Open with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Magda Linette to reach the fourth round on Saturday.

World number six Coco Gauff, however, suffered a surprise third round defeat at the hands of Spaniard Paula Badosa, losing 6-3, 6-0.

Russian teenager Andreeva, ranked at a lowly 194, and who ousted 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez and world number 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia earlier in the tournament, will face world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the last 16.

Andreeva broke Polish player Linette, world number 19, for 2-0 in the first set, and although the 17th seed broke back, the Russian did it again for a 4-2 lead and served it out.

The youngster broke again in the first game of the second set and converted her second match point to break Linette again and clinch victory.

Andreeva, a wildcard, became only the third 15-year-old to win a WTA 1000 main draw match when she beat Fernandez on Wednesday.

She finished as runner-up at the junior Australian Open in January, while her next opponent Sabalenka won the women's title for her breakthrough Grand Slam.

The Belarusian beat resilient wildcard Camila Osorio 6-4, 7-5 earlier Saturday.

"It was another tough battle, I expected it, it was a really great win, I'm really happy with the tennis today and this win," said Sabalenka.

Gauff, one of the two players who achieved the same feat as Andreeva at 15, was erratic in her defeat by Spanish number one Badosa.

The 19-year-old American, who was runner-up at the French Open last year, broke Badosa in the first game, but the Spaniard battled back immediately to get back on serve, before breaking Gauff again for a 3-2 lead.

Gauff's forehand betrayed her as Badosa broke to love to win the first set 6-3.

The second was a rout with Badosa winning 75 percent of points.

"I think I served very well, I was playing very aggressively from the baseline, tactically I think I played perfectly and I'm very happy to beat a player like Coco," said Badosa.

"I'm working very hard and it's moments like these which make it worth it."

Badosa will face world number nine Maria Sakkari or compatriot Rebeka Masarova in the fourth round.

- Medvedev through -

World number three Daniil Medvedev saw off Andrea Vavassori 6-4, 6-3 to reach the third round of the men's competition.

Vavassori battled his way past Andy Murray in the first round but could not oust another former world number one in the Spanish capital.

The Italian, ranked 164th, held his own against the second seed but eventually succumbed, even though his serve and volley game troubled Medvedev.

"I think I played a very good match, solid, and saved some break points," said Medvedev after his first match at the tournament.

"I managed to use my opportunities, I felt good and I'm looking forward to my next matches."

Dusan Lajovic earned a surprise win over world number nine Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5).

The Serbian stunned 22-time Grand Slam winner and world number one Novak Djokovic on the way to winning the Banja Luka title last week, as well as beating world number six Andrey Rublev in the final.

"Today in the match I really felt like I was going in to show my game," said Lajovic, ranked 40th.

"I knew I would have chances if I played my best tennis. It's really a good feeling to have this much confidence, but I need to be also very careful because it is so easy to lose confidence, especially in tennis."

Agence France-Presse