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World No. 95 Jaume Munar couldn't hide his happiness and excitement after making his maiden ATP final in front of his home fans in Marbella. Munar, a former world No. 52, handed a straight-set defeat 7-6 (4) 6-4 to fellow compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in the Marbella semifinal on Saturday.
Alcaraz made a perfect start to the match, having broken Munar in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. However, Alcaraz's lead was short-lived as Munar broke back the young Spaniard in the third game. Munar saved a break point in the fourth game and also in the eighth game, before the set went into a tie-break.
The two players were tied at 4-4 in the tie-break, before Munar won three points in a row to win a tight opener. Alcaraz twice recovered from a break down in the second set but there was no coming back after he dropped his serve in the 10th game.
“I feel happy and excited. I’ve been working a lot during the past [few] months," Munar said, per the ATP website. "It’s a gift for me to be here in a final, and especially in Marbella which is one of my favourite places.
I feel excited… I have no words."
Munar faces Pablo Carreno Busta in the final
Next up for Munar will be another Spaniard, No. 1 seed Carreno Busta. "A difficult match for sure, but I’ve been through difficult matches all week long.
Pablo is also a very hard hitter and an intense player,” Munar said. “It’s going to be something similar [to playing Alcaraz] but of course, Pablo has a lot more experience. He has won titles in the last years, and he’s one of the best players in the world.
We know each other a lot. I have all the best wishes for tomorrow, but it’s going to be a tough one”. Munar and Carreno Busta have no previous meetings.