In the WTA event played on the clay-courts of Stuttgart, for the women’s 500m tournament, Iga Swiatek – who defends the title won last year – defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the final, with the result of 6-3, 6-4. Too solid Swiatek who offered only one break point, in the second set, canceled with one of the few first serves put in that set, on the contrary of Sabalenka who kept 77% of them in the field, in a curious trend reversal for both compared to the first set.
Below the Highlights:
The men’s results
In Banja Luka, Dusan Lajovic wins against Andrey Rublev with the result of 6-3, 4-6, 6-4: for the Serbian two wins against two top 10s this week, after the success against Novak Djokovic.
In Munich, Holger Rune reconfirms himself as champion, beating again in the Bavarian city, exactly like last year, Botic Van de Zandschulp in three sets: 6-4, 1-6, 7-6. The first two sets tell nothing except a handover, where the Dutchman’s perfect partial responds to the positive momentum of the Dane.
In the third set, however, a new scenario breaks in: Rune hurts her arm and after having suffered the break she calls the physiotherapist. His intervention helps little: forehand the Dane does not force, but rather only lifts the ball, causing Van de Zandschulp to retreat uselessly.
Thus we arrive at 5-2 for the Dutchman, who leads to match point. From now on, everything turns upside down. Rune finds physical strength and mental strength, cancels two match points and cancels the first break. We go to 6-6 and again: the Paris-Bercy champion cancels two more match points and gives himself the tiebreak.
Here Rune is colder, more decisive, he takes advantage of the Dutchman’s moment of total insecurity and conquers back-to-back. Carlos Alcaraz wins the ATP tournament in Barcelona. In the 500 event, the world number two confirmed himself as champion by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, with the result 6-3, 6-4.
The first set is the clear and glaring demonstration of the mental strength of Carlos Alcaraz. Because in the third game of the game, guilty of some errors and also blinded by the sun, he commits an empty pass that immediately puts him at a disadvantage.
The Spaniard, however, responds immediately: he understands that hitting Stefanos Tsitsipas on the backhand diagonal is the winning method. So he pushes, varies, uses the dropshot, runs and takes up 4-3 in the eighth game.
At this moment he pushes even more and gets two break points, converting the second. On serve, he gets two set points and also in this case converts the second. No empty passes in the second set for Carlos Alcaraz, who does everything wonderfully: serve, hit, vary, defend.
Thus, in the fifth game there is an opportunity to break, which the Grand Slam champion does not miss, converting it into an advantage that sets him on the way to victory. The advantage that is enough to bring himself to serve for the match, without making a mistake and giving himself title number nine.
