24th April, 2022
Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz came back from the brink to oust Australian Alex de Minaur in a semi-final at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Sunday.
The 18-year-old saved two match points in the second set, one with an outrageous forehand pass on the run, as he overcame a slow start to notch a 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 6-4 win.
He now has a championship match appointment with countryman Pablo Carreno Busta later on Sunday at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899.
Eighth seed Pablo Carreno Busta had earlier booked his spot in the championship match with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Argentine Diego Schwartzman.
Alcaraz was made to dig deep in the three-hour, 39-minute marathon between two of the best movers on the ATP Tour.
With the match resuming at 2-2 in the opening set following rain delays on Saturday, it was de Minaur who initially looked the stronger of the two early on Sunday morning.
But the reigning Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals stepped up a level in the second and third sets to move within one win of a third title of 2022.
The win takes Alcaraz to a 9-0 match record in ATP 500 tournaments in 2022, having won his maiden title at that level at the Rio Open presented by Claro in February.
Lifting the trophy in Barcelona would cap a milestone week for the Spaniard, who will break into the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings on Monday, becoming the youngest player to achieve that feat since countryman Rafael Nadal did so after winning at the Barcelona event in 2005.
*Source ATP Tour