Premium final in the Godó Trophy. World number 2 and current champion, Carlos Alcaraz, against number 5, Stéfanos Tsitsipás, at the RCT Barcelona. The winner of the last US Open, the Murcian, against the finalist of the last Australian Open, the Greek. Starting at 4:00 p.m. this Sunday, a major face-to-face with all the attractions. Two of the most outstanding tennis players of the moment and the two most outstanding in the box, boiling. A joy is anticipated for the 7,800 people who fill the Rafa Nadal track. It will be the fourth time that they face each other and in the three previous ones the Spaniard was victorious. The most desired final in the 70th edition of the Trophy is now a reality.
To get here Alcaraz gave a good account this Saturday in the semifinals of the surprising British Daniel Evans (6-2, 6-2). If in the previous days he had had to navigate curves before Bautista Agut and Davidovich, who sought to tickle him, this time the man from El Palmar took a highway from start to finish. He had no fissures or hesitations or swings of consideration. He looked splendid. Solid with the serve, powerful with the forehand, fast on the legs and firm in mind. He didn't want to complicate his life. He wanted to be more authoritative than in the previous two days and he already achieved it from the outset.
Evans tried to break the rhythm of the Murcian with climbs to the net, aware that in the rally from the back of the track he was little less than a toy in the hands of a giant. From time to time the Briton achieved his objective and connected a winning volley but on most occasions it returned to him in a spin in the form of a right hand by Alcaraz. Idol of the masses, the number 2 in the world delighted the stands, full and enjoyable. Alcaraz closed his fist and looked at his corner, where his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, was, who nodded over and over again as a sign of approval. A ball into the net, in which he intelligently stopped before hitting, helped Alcaraz to close the first set in just 36 minutes of play.
If Tsitsipás had to squeeze himself and overcome complex situations, the Spaniard found no opposition because Evans couldn't find a way to do even a hint of damage to Alcaraz.
His ball speed was much higher and his right hand worked like an unapproachable grinder. On this occasion, the wind, which existed, was mainly brought by Alcaraz's racket, which acted in monologue mode. From going up so much Evans no longer surprised the Murcian, who also took the lead in the second set. If he made a mistake he made up for it with a merit action to follow. Total, 4-0 and the way completely clear. Although he immediately suffered the only break of the match, it didn't take long for him to close the game. In 1 hour 20 minutes, job done.
“For me it is a challenge to try to beat the fittest tennis player on the circuit. I will have to concentrate as much as possible and wait for my game to reach its peak”, said Tsitsipás.
He has already lost two finals in the RCTB, both against Nadal, and now he is the last obstacle for Alcaraz. In 2022 they met in Barcelona and the man from El Palmar was the strongest in the quarterfinals on the way to his first title at Godó. This Sunday he chases the second.
