Carlos Alcaraz secured his fourth title of an injury-disrupted season by defeating Alex de Minaur in the Erste Bank Open final in Vienna. The Spanish player recorded a 6-1 6-4 victory against the world No 10 in the indoor hard-court tournament.
Dominant Run in Vienna
World No 3 Alcaraz produced a 97-minute performance to overcome De Minaur and captured the championship without dropping a set during his five matches at the event. The 23-year-old entered the tournament following previous titles in Doha and Tokyo, finishing the year with a 16-0 record at ATP 500 events.
Alcaraz took control early in the match, breaking De Minaur’s serve in the opening game and building a double-break advantage. The seven-time Grand Slam champion capitalized on short balls and forced errors from his opponent throughout the first set. Although De Minaur mounted stronger resistance in the second set, Alcaraz maintained his momentum to claim his seventh consecutive win against the Australian.
“My team and I know pretty well Alex de Minaur’s level,” Alcaraz said, as reported by Sky Sports. “His style is really dangerous. Really flat balls that slip a lot through the court really low. It’s really difficult to increase the power that I want to in every shot and every ball.”
Alcaraz added that he needed to maintain focus against a fast opponent, explaining that he aimed to be aggressive and show that De Minaur would need to play better and smarter to win. He expressed happiness with finding his rhythm and gaining confidence on indoor courts.
Upcoming Tournaments
Having already qualified for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, Alcaraz advances to the Paris Masters to face either Jiri Lehecka or Alex Michelsen in his opening match. De Minaur will also travel to Paris as he pursues qualification for the ATP Finals for a third straight year.
In Basel, Valentin Vacherot rallied to defeat Jiri Lehecka 2-6 6-3 6-3 in the Swiss Indoors final to claim his second career title. The unseeded player from Monaco secured the victory when Lehecka’s backhand went out, celebrating his win in front of the fans.
