(Reuters) – Two years after successful his first tour-level match in Rio de Janeiro, 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz of Spain turned the youngest to clinch an ATP 500 title on the similar occasion on Sunday when he defeated Diego Schwartzman within the remaining of the Rio Open.
It was a second tour-level title for Alcaraz after his victory in Umag final yr and his 6-4 6-2 victory in opposition to Thirteenth-ranked Argentine Schwartzman made him the youngest ATP 500 champion because the class was created in 2009.
“I am unable to consider it, actually. It has been an ideal week for me taking part in an ideal degree,” Alcaraz mentioned on court docket after his win.
“First match on clay since a very long time, so I’m actually pleased with the efficiency throughout the entire week. It’s an incredible feeling proper now.”
Alcaraz, who received the NextGen ATP Finals in 2021, got here into Sunday’s remaining after having to play each his quarter-final and final 4 matches on Saturday due to a scheduling logjam because of rain earlier within the week.
He defeated high seed and world quantity six Matteo Berrettini and one other Italian Fabio Fognini, a former high 10 participant, and climbed to a career-best twentieth when the ATP rankings have been up to date on Monday.
“It has been a tricky week,” mentioned Alcaraz, who withdrew from this week’s ATP 500 match on the hardcourts in Acapulco, Mexico, because of a slight niggle.
“To be within the high 20 was a objective for me on the finish of the yr (2021) and to have the ability to do this at first is superb.”
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
