Carlos Alcaraz sets up another showdown with Cameron Norrie after battling past Jarry in Rio Open semi-finals
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ByEurosport
Updated 26/02/2023 at 08:55 GMT
Carlos Alcaraz will play Cameron Norrie in a final of an ATP tournament for the second week in a row. Alcaraz had to come back from a set down on Saturday to defeat Nicolas Jarry in two hours and 43 minutes. Alcaraz returned to the tour in Buenos Aires last week. After winning that title in style, he is on the brink of securing another in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
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Carlos Alcaraz has set up a second successive final with Great Britain's Cameron Norrie after beating qualifier Nicolas Jarry 6-7(2) 7-5 6-0 at the Rio Open on Saturday.
Alcaraz, who beat Norrie 6-4 7-5 to clinch the ATP Buenos Aires title last week and extended his head-to-head record against the Brit to 4-1, was pushed hard by the Chilean under the lights at the on Court Guga Kuerten, but was able to continue his unbeaten start this year by clinching a three-set victory.
"I'm so proud of myself," Alcaraz said after winning his eighth match in 11 days.
"To be in a final again in my second tournament is a really special moment for me... I couldn't ask for a better start of 2023.
"It was a really tough first set, coming back from a break down," Alcaraz said. "And then playing a tie-break that I didn't really play well, it's tough to come back.
"Then I came back from 0/40 in the first game [of the second set]. It was really tough. But [I kept] a positive attitude to stay there and [took] my chances... It's all I can say. But honestly, I don't know how I did it."
Jarry raced into a 3-0 lead and looked in control of the opening set. Alcaraz eventually clawed back the break in the ninth game before a love hold of serve got the pair to 5-5.
A tie-break soon followed and again Jarry got off to a fast start by winning the first three points before going on to serve it out. Jarry won 89 per cent of his points off his first serve in the hour-long set.
Jarry was playing with great variety, but he failed to convert any of his four break points in the opening game of the second set. Alcaraz continued to battle hard and held his serve at 4-4 and 5-5, but he did need treatment for his upper left leg after both games.
When he was back on court the Spaniard converted the next break point, which proved to be the set point, and forced a decider.
The third set was over in a blink of an eye as the world No. 2 reeled off six games in a row. Along the way, he produced a shot of the season contender on break point for 2-0; a seemingly impossible passing shot.
Asked about his leg about the match, Alcaraz said: "I don't worry about that. It's a tennis player's life.
"Playing with some pain is normal for a tennis player. Even more if we are playing win by win, no break for almost 14 days in a row. It's normal.
"I'm going to take care of that and go into the final 100 per cent."
Earlier on Saturday, Norrie advanced to the final with a hard-fought 6-2 3-6 7-6(3) win over Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles.
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