Andrey Rublev, the reigning champion at the Qatar ExonMobil Open, was never going to relinquish his title easily, as Carlos Alcaraz discovered during their semi-final at this year’s event.
Every time I step on the field, I know what I can do, what I am capable of Carlos Alcaraz
And despite his strong defense, the Russian was eventually forced to concede as the Spanish world number 1 came through to claim his 11th consecutive win of the season.
The first set was crucial as he had two chances to serve it out and failed, but he fought through and eventually claimed the set during the tiebreak. Alcaraz then slowly gained the upper hand in the second, although he let go of a 3-0 lead before advancing into the final 7-6 (5) 6-4, closing the set on his sixth match point after two hours and two minutes.
“Every time I step on the field, I know what I can do, what I’m capable of,” Alcaraz said when asked if he’s ever surprised at himself. “The way I approach every match, I’m just really proud of that. It’s something I want to get better at and it’s paying off. I’m proud of myself [for] get better and become more mature.”
Commenting on the strong challenge Rublev posed, he added: “If you want to find a solution to a problem, you have to find it in a calm place.
“It’s something I’m working on. When I play and get angry and see that I’m not at my best, I just get frustrated. That’s not the place where you find solutions. In these games I’ve been very calm, I’ve thought clearly and I’m positive. They’re those places where you can find the solutions to a problem.”
Having reached his 34th final at tour level, Alcaraz is now chasing his 26th title, but young Frenchman Arthur Fils, back from a long injury break, is showing enough form to prevent himself from achieving that and handing the Spaniard his ninth defeat in a final.
(Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
To reach the championship match, Fils defeated sixth seed and 2024 finalist Jakub Mensik, last year’s Miami Masters champion who ousted Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals, 6-4 7-5
However, Mensik could not repeat that level against Fils, who is playing only his third event since returning from a back injury that kept him out for eight months.
“It was a tough journey,” Fils said. “Eight months without playing tennis, just watching the other boys struggle… Staying in bed and recovering took a very long time. My team knows how hard it was, but now it feels even better when I come back like this. To be in a final again, it means a lot.”
The 21-year-old Frenchman recently strengthened his squad by adding 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic to his coaching staff.
“If you believe in it, maybe you can do it, so I believe in it one hundred percent,” Fils said before the final. “Let’s see on the field tomorrow, but I will definitely come on the field to fight.”
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