Musetti holds off Alcaraz to secure maiden ATP title at Hamburg Open
hamburg: Italian youngster Lorenzo Museti held off Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic final to win his first ATP Tour title at the clay-court event in Hamburg on Sunday.
The 20-year-old saw five match points come and go in the second set before eventually securing a 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4 victory.
“I have no words because it was a roller-coaster until the end,” Museti said.
“I had so many match points. Carlos was so good on the match points, (I had) so many chances.”
Alcaraz, who will be the youngest player to break into the world’s top five since Rafael Nadal in 2005 on Monday, missed out on a sixth ATP title as he lost a final for the first time. The Spanish teenager looked to be heading for a straight-sets defeat, but saved two match points when Museti served for the title when leading 5-4 in the second set.
The world number 62 missed another three match points in the tie-break, but finally got over the line at the sixth time of asking 50 minutes later.
“Of course I was really upset (ater missing match points), but I tried to not show my opponent my reaction,” Museti, who was playing in his first ATP final, said.
“I tried to forgive (myself for) all the match points and all the points (when) I couldn’t do it.”
RUUD BATTLES BACK TO BEAT BERRETTINI IN GSTAAD FINAL: Top seed and defending champion Casper Ruud came from a set down to beat second seed Mateo Berretini 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in a high quality final of the clay-court ATP event in Gstaad on Sunday.
It marked a ninth career title for Ruud - four of them coming in Switzerland - and his third of the year following successes in Geneva and Buenos
Aires, also on clay.
“There is a big story here with Roger Federer, who is a reference for me and a lot of players in the world,” said Ruud ater the match which stretched just over two and a half hours.
“Switzerland is a country with a lot of history now in tennis, winning a lot of Grand Slams with Roger and Stan (Wawrinka) the last 18 or 19 years.
“So it’s been an inspiration to everyone around the world, including myself, that they are able to come from a small country, sort of like Norway. Everything about Switzerland reminds me a litle bit about Norway.”
The French Open finalist dropped the opener but batled back to take the Italian world number 15 to a tiebreak for the second set.
Ruud lost the opening point on serve but then found his forehand clicking into gear as he took the next five points, the first sign of Berretini’s service wavering.