Carlos Alcaraz secured his first indoor title on Sunday, defeating Australia's Alex de Minaur 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 at the Rotterdam Open. The world No. 3 showcased his powerful groundstrokes, outclassing de Minaur, who fought bravely but was unable to match Alcaraz’s offensive firepower. The Spaniard, despite not feeling 100% due to a cold, managed to find his rhythm throughout the week, gradually improving his condition as the tournament progressed.
Alcaraz started strong, breaking de Minaur's serve in the third game, aided by a double-fault from the Australian. However, de Minaur responded with a break of his own, leveling the set at 4-4. Yet, Alcaraz regained control, breaking de Minaur's serve again and closing out the first set with a precise backhand. The Australian's forehand error on set point handed Alcaraz the lead in the match.
The second set saw a momentum shift as de Minaur broke early to take a 3-0 lead. Despite squandering a couple of opportunities for a second break, the Australian held on to his serve and capitalized on Alcaraz’s mistakes to level the match. Alcaraz’s wild forehands and a misjudged backhand into the net allowed de Minaur to win the set and equalize.
In the decisive third set, Alcaraz broke de Minaur’s serve in the sixth game with a perfectly executed drop shot. The Australian, serving to stay in the match at 5-2, faltered with a double-fault and missed a backhand into the net, giving Alcaraz the win. The Spaniard celebrated his 17th tour title with a loud "vamos" as the crowd erupted in applause, while de Minaur reflected on another runner-up finish, hoping to one day claim the winner’s trophy.
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