Google News ATP Buenos Aires: Carlos Alcaraz loses title, drifts further away from Novak Djokovic
by JOVICA ILIC
World no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz failed to defend his Buenos Aires title. Carlos fell in the semi-final, losing to Nicolas Jarry 7-6, 6-3 in an hour and 55 minutes. Thus, the Spaniard remains titleless since Wimbledon in July last year, hoping for a better run in Rio de Janeiro next week.
The opening set saw no break chances, and Jarry had the upper hand in the tie break. The Spaniard grabbed an early break in the second set but did not stay in front for too long. Nicolas notched two breaks and sealed the deal in straight sets for a place in the sixth ATP final.
Carlos held at love in the first game of the encounter with a service winner before Nicolas leveled the score at 1-1 with a winner at the net in game two.
The defending champion produced another hold at love in game three after a smash winner and reached deuce on the return in the next one after the opponent's forehand error.
Jarry stayed calm and grabbed the next two points, bringing the game home for 2-2. Alcaraz extended his streak behind the initial shot, delivering another hold at love in game five and moving 3-2 in front. The Spaniard went 16 from 16 on serve in the seventh game, closing it with a service winner and keeping the pressure on the other side.
Jarry claimed his first return points in game nine, reaching deuce before Alcaraz brought it home with a service winner.
Carlos Alcaraz lost to Nicolas Jarry in the semi-final.
The Spaniard stood two points away from the set in the tenth game before the Chilean closed it with two service winners, locking the result at 5-5 and extending the battle.
They served well in games 11 and 12, introducing a tie break after Nicolas' powerful serve at 5-6. Carlos started it with a double fault and dropped two more points on serve to find himself 4-1 down. A forehand winner sent Jarry 5-1 up, and he earned five set points with a service winner.
Carlos netted a routine forehand on the second, dropping the breaker 7-2 and sending his rival in front after an hour. The Chilean missed a backhand at the beginning of the second set, facing three break points. The Spaniard clinched the second, delivering the first break of the match.
Instead of building on that, Alcaraz offered Jarry a break chance in game two after a forced error. Carlos saved it with a service winner but fell on the second after Nicolas' deep return that drew a mistake from world no.
2. They served well in the next three games before Alcaraz played against another break point in game six after a loose backhand. The young gun denied it with a forehand winner and held after Jarry's loose drop shot. Nicolas closed the seventh game after deuce and made another push on the return in the next one.
The Chilean endured a baseline rally with his backhand and attacked from the weaker wing to create a break chance. The Spaniard netted a forehand to lose serve and fall 5-3 behind, moving closer to the exit door. Jarry served for a career-best victory in game nine and denied a break point with a booming serve.
Nicolas hit a double fault on a match point, and Carlos earned the second break point with a lob winner. Jarry denied it with a smash winner and created the second match point after Alcaraz's backhand error. The Chilean forced the Spaniard's mistake, sealing the deal and celebrating a career-best victory.