Carlos Alcaraz had declared before the Hamburg ATP 500 final that he hoped to make it six out of six, alluding to having won all five of his previous finals. But Lorenzo Musetti, a generation mate -19 years old Carlos, 20 Lorenzo- had managed to break the streak in a very serious game by both players, in which Carlos went from less to more, balancing the game but without breaking the equality, and Lorenzo did not feel emotional blow of having lost five match points in the second round and closed the match with 6-4,6-7 (8) and 6-4.
The Italian tennis player was better at the start of the match, practically “supplanting” Alcaraz´s tennis personality, using the drop shot very intelligently and preventing him from developing his offensive game, maintaining a relatively slow pace of play. Carlos, somewhat subdued, managed to match Musetti´s initial “break” with work but, without being able to disturb his service too much, he gave up his serve again and did not have “break” balls again until 4-3 in the second set in favor of Lorenzo.
Musetti managed at that time to match a 0-40. But Carlos did not accuse the circumstance, nor a controversial point in which the ball gave- the camera gave it away-double bounce before Musetti returned without the referee noticing it or Musetti recognising it. The Italian had his two first two match points on his serve but Carlos matched them and finally achieved the “break” to reach the tiebreaker. In it, the Italian again took the lead with 6-3, three more match points, but Carlos forced the third round with five consecutive points.
Musetti delivered the set with a double fault, but at the start of the final set neither one accused the moral blow of not having closed the match nor did he the other relax. Carlos went through a difficult situation serving at 2-3. Then he equalised the score but, with 4-5 and a new break ball and match for Lorenzo, the Spanish player sent a rest beyond the baseline.
At the awards ceremony, one and the other recalled the times they had faced each other in training categories. They will surely repeat now in final of another scope, like this one in Hamburg. Musetti, who arrived in Hamburg after four consecutive defeats in the first round, leaves as champion. Carlos, as the fifth ATP player, surpassing Casper Ruud despite his triumph in Gstaad.
Jorge Barbero
