World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain took down the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-2 at the HSBC Championships in London on Sunday, claiming his fifth title of the season and 21st overall.
Alcaraz, 22, who also won at Queen’s Club in 2023, is the fifth active men’s player to win four or more grass titles, joining Novak Djokovic (8), Matteo Berrettini (4), Taylor Fritz (4) and Nicolas Mahut (4). The two-time Wimbledon defending champion will bring a career-long 18-match winning streak into the Grand Slam event (June 30-July 13).
In his two-hour, eight-minute victory, Alcaraz did not face a single break point and notched 18 aces to seven for the 23-year-old Lehecka, who was competing his first grass final. In the decisive final set, Alcaraz dropped just two of his 18 service points.
Terra Wortmann Open
Unseeded Alexander Bublik of Kazahkstan closed out his impressive run at the event on an even higher note, upsetting third-seeded Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (4) of Russia in the final at Halle, Germany.
Bublik, who had lost all six previous matchups with Medvedev, became the fourth player in the event’s 32-year history to win multiple titles, along with Roger Federer (10), Yevgeny Kafelnikov (3) and Tommy Haas (2). Bublik, the 2023 champion, upset World No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner in the second round.
In an 81-minute victory, Bublik’s overall game was too much for the 29-year-old Medvedev, as he won 79 percent of his first-serve points (38 of 48). In the first set, the 28-year-old Bublik posted a 12-point winning streak to take the early advantage en route to the win.
–Field Level Media
