Carlos Alcaraz has won the Paris Masters 1,000 after defeat the American Ben Shelton7-6 (5) and 7-5, thus becoming the second Spaniard, after David Ferrer, to win the most prestigious indoor tournament on the circuit. The number 3 in the world, at only 23 years old, has nine consecutive victories and two titles, Vienna and now Paris, in an explosive season finale after four months away from the slopes for a wrist injury.
That rest has now translated into freshness for the Murcian, who in other editions had reached the end of the course and who this time was able to gain a high level and add the 29th title of his career, the fifth of the year and the ninth Masters 1,000. Two tournaments before the injury, the Australian Open and Doha, and three after, Tokyo, Vienna and now Paris, which was the last opportunity he had to add a 1,000 Masters this year and chain five consecutive titles in the second category of the circuit, something that only the Serbian Novak Djokovic and the Spanish Rafael Nadal have achieved in the past.
The rage with which he celebrated the title, hugging his team and his parents, is proportional to the desire he had for a date in which he had always arrived out of shape and in which his best performance so far had been a quarterfinal that he had to leave injured. Alcaraz conquered a track that the Spanish are not good at. Fourteen years after Ferrer’s victory, Alcaraz triumphed where Djokovic reigned seven times and Nadal stayed in the final. The Murcian already has seven of the nine Masters 1,000, only Canada and Shanghai resist him.
The duel of titans between Juan Carlos Ferrero’s former pupil and his future player fulfilled the expectations it had generated, a lot of speed in exchanges, high-voltage hits and profusion of volleys that delighted the public. A duel between the 3rd and 4th in the world that has been measured with a magnifying glass.
This time the left-handed Shelton needed those fringes to fall on his side. He had up to six opportunities to snatch the service in the first round and the Spaniard, a specialist in living on the wire, got out of the quagmire as many times. The American was almost untouchable with his serve, six direct points, the first set was doomed to a tiebreaker game in which Alcaraz was more successful to get ahead. Equality was also the dominant note of the second set, although Shelton did take advantage the first breaking ball he had to take a 4-2 lead that Alcaraz was in charge of suppressing quickly.
Nerves seemed to take their toll on Shelton, who was also looking for his fifth tournament of the year, but is less accustomed to this stage of the competition. Alcaraz put the lead in the twelfth game, with the American’s serve. He wasted a first match point, but he didn’t let the second one escape.
A victory that “means a lot”
Alcaraz, after the victory, assured that achieved one of his career goals and stated that this title “means a lot” to him. “I have finally managed to find my level. I have found the right path and the right way of doing things. I am very proud of myself and my team, of everything they have done to push me to move forward,” he said shortly after receiving the trophy.
“Today I faced one of the most important challenges that I have had. Shelton is a great champion and a great person. Every day he improves and after this tournament he will do so too, so it will be more difficult to face him in the future,” highlighted the Murcian.
