Alcaraz sets up Queen's final clash with Lehecka
Carlos Alcaraz reached the Queen's Club final for the second time as the world number two eased to a 6-4, 6-4 win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday.
Alcaraz extended his career-best winning streak to 17 matches in a semi-final played in sweltering conditions at the Wimbledon warm-up event in west London.
Advertisement
The five-time Grand Slam champion hit 36 winners and 15 aces to dispatch his fellow Spaniard in 90 minutes.
Top seeded Alcaraz will face Jiri Lehecka in Sunday's final after the Czech world number 30's shock 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win against British star Jack Draper in the other semi-final.
Playing his first tournament since his epic French Open victory against Jannik Sinner two weeks ago, the 22-year-old is through to his fifth successive final after lifting titles on clay in Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Monte Carlo.
Alcaraz signalled his emergence as a grass-court force by winning Queen's in 2023, clinching the Wimbledon title for the first time just weeks later and defending his All England Club crown last year.
Advertisement
He is one victory away from becoming only the second Spaniard to win Queen's twice, after Feliciano Lopez's victories in 2017 and 2019.
Alcaraz wasted little time taking control against Bautista Agut, unfurling a deft drop-shot to break in the third game of the match.
That was all the encouragement Alcaraz needed as he held serve with ease to close out the first set.
Bautista Agut, 37, enjoyed a surprise win over Danish fourth seed Holger Rune in the last eight.
But Alcaraz never looked like suffering the same fate and he delivered the knockout blow in the second set.
A whipped forehand down the line earned a break-point that he converted to move 3-2 ahead.
Advertisement
The nerveless Alcaraz finished off the win in typically ruthless fashion to the delight of the fans waving Spanish flags to salute their hero.
- 'You have no choice' -
Earlier, Lehecka ended Draper's bid for a maiden Queen's final appearance.
Lehecka, who will be playing in his first ATP grass-court final, is the first Czech to reach the men's title match at Queen's since Ivan Lendl lifted the trophy in 1990.
The 23-year-old said: "It means a lot. You don't meet a player like Jack every day, he's an amazing competitor."
Draper was hoping to become the first British singles champion at Queen's since five-time winner Andy Murray's most recent victory in 2016.
Advertisement
But the world number six will have to wait at least another year to get his hands on the silverware after claiming a bout of tonsillitis played a role in his defeat.
"I haven't felt good all week. I'm proud of the way I went about things, considering, but it's tough," he said.
"You're an entertainer, an athlete, and you have no choice. No one cares, you know. So you've just got to go out there and do the best you can.
"Today's probably the worst I've felt. Did I think about withdrawing? No, not at all. I'm in the semi-finals at Queen's. I'd probably go on court with a broken leg."
Advertisement
Lehecka had already ended the hopes of one Briton at Queen's after beating Jacob Fearnley in the quarter-finals on Friday.
He also defeated world number 12 Alex de Minaur in his opening match of the tournament, but knocking out Draper was his biggest scalp yet.
smg/dmc
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chelsea no longer interested in signing 22-year-old Spanish talent
Chelsea have signed several players from Spain in the last few years, but they will not be signing one of the nation's most talented youngsters, having taken the decision to end their interest in a summer deal. During the winter transfer window, Chelsea made multiple offers for Deportivo La Coruna winger Yeremay Hernandez, who was a standout performer in the Segunda during the 2024-25 season. The 22-year-old scored 15 goals and registered five assists in 39 appearances, and his performances led to significant interest being generated from across Europe. Chelsea end Yeremy Hernandez interest Image via Marca Advertisement Chelsea were one of those keen on signing Yeremay, but for the time being, they will no longer consider an approach. As per ESPN, they have ended their interest following the decision of the player to sign a new long-term contract with Deportivo. On Monday, Deportivo announced that Yeremay had signed a new deal until 2030, with the option to extend by an additional three years. As per the report, this made him the best-paid player in Segunda history, and in the process, it has ended any speculation of a possible move away during this summer's transfer window, which re-opens for business for Spanish clubs on the 1st of July. Serie A side Como, who are managed by former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas, were also interested in Yeremay, but after negotiations broke down between the two parties earlier this month, the player quickly opted to sign a new contract with Deportivo, who will be eyeing a return to La Liga in 2026. There are still chances for Yeremay to leave if his release clause is activated, but this is unlikely to happen. His previous deal had his buyout at approximately €30m, but with his new agreement, the valuation has been significantly increased – meaning that any jeopardy has been taken away.
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Liverpool could sign two of the most expensive players EVER
Liverpool could sign two of the most expensive players EVER Liverpool have signed Wirtz, Isak next? Any deal done for the Swede is not going to be easy. Isak is one of the best forwards in the world and is under contract until 2028. In an item discussing Liverpool's reported interest in the Geordie hitman, the Telegraph reveals that no discussions have yet been opened over Isak. Advertisement With focus on Wirtz up until his unveiling on Friday, Liverpool have not yet made an approach for the former Borussia Dortmund forward. Moreover it's claimed that Liverpool wouldn't just have to beat their newly-set club transfer record for Wirtz - they will have to come very close to breaking the world transfer record if they have any chance of talking Newcastle into a sale. © IMAGO - Florian Wirtz Liverpool Newcastle want deal approaching £200m for Isak 'We are not just talking about a British record transfer fee, we are looking at something approaching the £200 million world record Paris St-Germain paid to sign Neymar from Barcelona,' the report states. Advertisement PSG currently own the records for the two most expensive transfers of all time (€). Wirtz has just become the seventh-most expensive player of all time having moved from Bayer Leverkusen - potentially rising to fourth just behind Philippe Coutinho - if all add-ons are met. Coutinho swapped Liverpool for Barcelona in a €145m deal back in January 2018 - allowing Liverpool to plough the proceeds into Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker. Wirtz could end up topping out at €137.5m. © IMAGO Liverpool tipped to break records in transfer market Liverpool will potentially end up with TWO of the most expensive players of all time - assuming Isak's price actually beats the Wirtz fee. Advertisement In fact, it's likely to come closer to the €180m PSG paid to Monaco for Mbappe in 2018. Mbappe, second on the list after Neymar, initially moved on loan from Monaco in 2017 before the deal was made permanent a year later. These deals will signal a shift in transfer market power in Liverpool's favour. Liverpool's careful financial planning under FSG is set to be rewarded in record-breaking fashion.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lehecka stuns Draper to reach Queen's final
Czech world number 30 Jiri Lehecka stunned Britain's Jack Draper to reach the Queen's Club final with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory on Saturday. Lehecka blasted 36 winners and hit 16 aces to end Draper's bid for a maiden final appearance at the Wimbledon warm-up event in west London. Advertisement The 23-year-old will face French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz or Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut in Sunday's final. "It means a lot. You don't meet a player like Jack every day, he's an amazing competitor," Lehecka said. "It's not easy to use my serve (on grass) but I've been working on it for the last few weeks. I'm happy with it." Draper was hoping to become the first British singles champion at Queen's since five-time winner Andy Murray's most recent victory in 2016. After booking his spot in the semi-finals Draper revealed he had held the Queen's trophy as a child around 12 years ago. Advertisement But Draper, ranked sixth in the world, will have to wait at least another year to get his hands back on the silverware after producing an unusually error-strewn display in sweltering conditions. Lehecka had already ended the hopes of one Briton at Queen's after beating Jacob Fearnley in the quarter-finals on Friday. The 23-year-old also defeated world number 12 Alex de Minaur in his opening match of the tournament, but knocking out Draper was his biggest scalp yet. Draper's careless double-fault gifted Lehecka a break in the opening game of the first set. The ice-cool Lehecka ignored the searing temperatures as he cruised through the rest of the set. Advertisement Draper needed to apply pressure on Lehecka to get back in the match and he did exactly that in the fourth game of the second set. Even then, Lehecka staved off four break points and repelled another in the sixth. But Draper kept slugging away from the baseline and finally landed a big blow with a winner down the line on set point. Rock legend and avid tennis fan Jon Bon Jovi, watching in the stands, rose from his seat to salute Draper's gritty fightback. Draper had been living on a prayer for two sets and his luck ran out in the 11th game of the deciding set when Lehecka crushed a backhand winner to break. Smashing his racquet into the advertising boards in frustration, Draper couldn't muster a response and Lehecka was soon celebrating his memorable success. smg/pi
