Ben Pawlowski
CARLOS Alcaraz tasted tournament success for the first time since his enthralling Wimbledon victory after winning the Indian Wells title in California on Sunday.
The 20-year old Spaniard defeated world No.4 Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 to pick up his first title since his thrilling five-set victory in SW19 against Novak Djokovic in July.
The victory represented a long-awaited resurgence from the world No.2, who had only reached the final of the Cincinnati Masters since his second Grand Slam triumph.
Alcaraz, who appears to have finally recovered from a persistent ankle niggle, fought back from 3-0 down in the opening set to help him win the 13th ATP tour title of his career.
He had previously defeated Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner in a three-set semi-final on Saturday, showing remarkable athleticism and technical ability to overcome his Italian counterpart.
The Murcia-born tennis star said: “I’m feeling great right now. This tournament means a lot to me, but this year is a bit more special because I was thinking about whether I was going to play my best or not. I was not feeling well with my ankle. There was a lot of doubt but I am really happy to overcome those problems”.
Alcaraz is now in esteemed company, having become the second man after Rafa Nadal to win five ATP Masters 1,000 titles before turning 21, and the first man in his age group to defend the prestigious Indian Wells trophy in the Californian desert since the great Boris Becker.
Iga Swiatek, the 22-year old Pole, won the concurrent women’s event with a 6-4, 6-0 triumph over Maria Sakkari, the Greek world No.9.
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