Miami Open news: Carlos Alcaraz knocks out defending champion to secure landmark career achievement
- Seb Sternik
- 2 April 2022
Carlos Alcaraz is through to his first ever Masters 1000 final after beating Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets.
The Spaniard, who has been touted as the next big name in tennis, showed class, quality and incredible sportsmanship as he secured a 7-6 7-6 victory over Poland's Hurkacz.
The 18-year-old completed the victory in just over two hours and will now turn his attention to Sunday's final, where he will face Norway's Casper Ruud.
Alcaraz reached the Indian Wells semi-final two weeks ago, and has now backed up that achievement by sealing his first major final on the ATP Tour.
The teenager told ATP.com: "I have a lot of emotions right now. It's something that you dream of when you are a child.
"It's really good to be in the final here in Miami. I love playing here. The crowd is amazing. I'm going to approach the final like a first round, trying to mask the nerves. I'm going to enjoy it, it's going to be a great final."
Alcaraz is now just one match away from becoming the youngest champion in the 37-year history of the Miami Open.
However, the Spaniard was certainly put through his paces in the semi-final, with Hurkacz pushing the youngster into two tiebreaks.
"I couldn't return his serves, but I knew that the match was going to be long sets like it was, 7-6, 7-6," added Alcaraz.
"At the beginning, I saw that I couldn't return. I thought we were going to play a lot of tie-breaks. A little bit different [than my previous matches] with his serve, but it's a great win for me."
Even though the stakes couldn't have been any higher, Alcaraz provided a moment of class as he offered to replay a point after an innocent "not up" call. Hurkacz applauded the offer, but was unable to take advantage.
The Pole praised his opponent, saying: "He's playing insane for his age. It's really incredible how he plays, how he competes. He has an amazing career in front of him. It's crazy how good he plays."
