Carlos Alcaraz wins Queen's Club title over Jiri Lehecka ahead of Wimbledon
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz edged powerful Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-2 to claim his second Queen's Club title and send out a powerful statement ahead of his Wimbledon defence on Sunday.
Spaniard Alcaraz, who triumphed at Queen's a few weeks before claiming his first Wimbledon title in 2023, extended his winning streak to 18 matches but was pushed hard by Lehecka, who underlined his own credentials as a rising force.
Alcaraz, 22, pounced at 5-5 to break the Lehecka serve and duly bagged the opening set in 45 minutes.
Lehecka, bidding to become the first Czech to win the Queen's title since Ivan Lendl in 1990, continued going toe-to-toe with the five-time grand slam champion and edged the second-set tie-break with some clinical tennis.
Alcaraz had more in his locker, though, and forged 4-1 ahead in the decider as Lehecka's level finally began to drop on a breezy Andy Murray Arena in west London.
He then broke the 23-year-old Lehecka's serve again to complete victory, letting out a roar of delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net.
While Alcaraz will be seeded number two at Wimbledon behind Jannik Sinner as he bids for a hat-trick of titles there, he will arrive in red-hot form and as the overwhelming favourite.
He has won 27 of his 28 matches since April, his lone loss coming against Holger Rune in the Barcelona final, and Sunday's win was his fifth title this year.
"This is really special this trophy and this tournament for me," Alcaraz said on court as he clutched the huge piece of silverware.
"Jiri had an incredible week and his level is very high and it's a nightmare to play against you."
Lehecka, whose ball-striking and physique are not dissimilar to Lendl's, beat home favourite Jack Draper in the semifinals on Saturday and began full of confidence against Alcaraz whom he defeated at the start of the year in Doha.
With serve dominating on the slick lawn, there was nothing between the players until Lehecka made a couple of errors at 5-5 and Alcaraz needed no second invitation to take the set.
The second set followed a similar pattern, but it was Lehecka who raised his game in the tiebreak to get a mini-break ahead.
Alcaraz replied to win a sensational point at 3-4, sprinting to retrieve a drop shot and then back to chase down a lob.
But Lehecka did not flinch and banged down an ace. Alcaraz double-faulted at 5-5 and then Lehecka levelled the final.
Lehecka was unable to carry that momentum and Alcaraz quickly re-established control and surged to victory.
"The goal this week was just to compete and have a few matches on the grass and this final was a gift for me," Alcaraz said.
"I just enjoyed the moment and the final, I felt like I was in control most of the time."
Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
31 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
Bernard Tomic pulls off incredible Mallorca qualifying double to return to ATP Tour main draw
Australian tennis veteran Bernard Tomic is celebrating a return to the top after qualifying for an ATP Tour event for the first time since 2021. The 32-year-old pulled off an impressive double on the grass courts of Mallorca, claiming upset wins over world No.93 Jesper De Jong and world No.77 Aleksandar Kovacevic to reach the main draw. He had not beaten a top-100 rival since February 2023. Tomic, the world No.243, has been an ATP Challenger and third-tier ITF circuit regular and last played an ATP Tour-level event when he qualified for the 2021 Australian Open. He will face fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round at Mallorca. Mallorca will be the high point of the grass season for Tomic, who was in the mix for the Wimbledon qualifying draw before pulling out to focus on the Spanish event. Tristan Schoolkate will lead a 16-strong Australian contingent seeking Wimbledon places — and lucrative pay packets — this week. With 13 Australians (eight man and five women) already guaranteed in the main draw next week, Ilkley Trophy winner Schoolkate will spearhead the challenge to join them in the cut-throat qualifying tournament at nearby Roehampton. Players will have to come through three qualifying matches at the venue 5km from the All England Club to nail down one of the coveted 16 places in each of the singles draws a week on Monday. Making the main draw will guarantee each qualifier at least a £66,000 ($A137,000) pay day even if he or she loses in the first round. Schoolkate, who earned the biggest win of his burgeoning career at the picturesque Challenger event in Ilkley that likes to dub itself the 'Wimbledon of the North', has moved to 102nd in the rankings and is seeking a maiden appearance at the grass-court slam. The 24-year-old, second seed for the qualifying event, opens on Monday against Argentine world No.198 Facundo Diaz Acosta. Last year, Alex Bolt had just 10 minutes notice as an alternate that he would be a late replacement in the qualifying draw and went on to surprise everyone, not least himself, by going on to battle into the main draw. This year, somewhat better prepared, the 32-year-old Murray Bridge veteran will face Frenchman Harold Mayot first up, hoping to make the main draw for a fourth time. Four other Aussie men — Li Tu, Jason Kubler, James McCabe and Omar Jasika — will also open their bids on Monday while the world No.1 junior Emerson Jones will lead the women's qualifying challenge that begins on Tuesday. Jones, who reached the Australian Open and Wimbledon junior finals last year, will be joined in the draw by Talia Gibson, Priscilla Hon, Daria Saville, Astra Sharma, Destanee Aiava, Maddison Inglis, Lizette Cabrera, Arina Rodionova and Taylah Preston. Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur is not in action in any of the final pre-Wimbledon grass-court events after his early exit at Queen's Club. But seven SW19-bound Australians will feature in the final warm-up tournaments this week, including Tomic. James Duckworth beat British wildcard Johannus Monday 6-4 6-2 and Aleksandar Vukic downed American Jenson Brooksby 7-5 6-3 to book their places in the Eastbourne International men's main draw. Kim Birrell also made it to the traditional seaside event, defeating Anna Bondar 6-2 6-3 in Eastbourne qualifying, to join the country's top pair, Daria Kasatkina and Maya Joint, in the women's event. Ajla Tomljanovic, a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, beat Germany's Eva Lys, who retired when 6-4 3-2 down, to make it into the Bad Homburg WTA main draw.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Nobody likes you': Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva face off after sarcastic act
Two rival tennis players clashed in a fiery row following one star's sarcastic gesture. One even blasted at her foe: 'Nobody likes you.' Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva faced off in the first round of the Bad Homburg Open in Germany on Sunday. Former world No3 Sakkari, 29, came through a tight encounter, winning 7-5 7-6. But there was none of the usual respect and warmth at the handshake at the net following match point. They did clasp hands but there was clearly some underlying tension. And when Putintseva, 30, did not give eye contact as she extended her hand out, Sakkari took exception. Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva got heated during their handshake in Bad Homburg 😳 Watch the full clip here and read more from @Tennis below ðŸ'‡ â€' Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 22, 2025 READ The Greek ace made a comment as her defeated opponent walked towards the umpire. And that led to a spectacular bust-up, with Kazakhstani Putintseva sarcastically curtsying for the winner. Both player shook hands with the chair umpire while their war of words continued. Sakkari walked over to Putintseva's chair and made her feelings clear about the petulant behaviour and Putintseva snapped back. The courtside microphones appeared to pick up the world No86 telling Putintseva to 'act like a human being'. Putintseva then reportedly told Sakkari to 'go f*** herself' as the umpire tries to calm things down, chipping in: 'Ladies, please.' But her rival's comment lit the fuse for Sakkari who confronted Putintseva again and told her: 'Nobody likes you.' World No27 Putintseva then picked up her racquet bag and towels before bowing in front of Sakkari as the feud escalated. Quizzed about the drama in her on-court interview, Sakkari joked: 'I don't think she's going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives. 'But I don't care to be honest. 'I have very good friends.' And the incident sparked plenty of talk among tennis fans on social media – especially as Putintseva has been at the centre of controversy in the past. She was the female player at the centre of a scandal for her bizarre tantrum towards a ball girl at the US Open in 2024. One fan wrote: 'Sakarri not putting up with Putintseva's antics and says that's why nobody likes you. You don't mess with Maria Sakkari!' Another said: 'The most annoying and unlikeable player on the WTA Tour. It's shameful that a female would behave the way she does.' A third added: 'That was so unnecessary from Maria. That's not a national news that Yulia's handshakes (especially after losing) are usually cold. If she wants to behave like that just leave her alone.' And a final user commented: 'Nothing wrong with a bit of passion. We don't want robots. Wouldn't want this at every match obviously.'
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Queen's champion Alcaraz in the groove ahead of Wimbledon
Carlos Alcaraz warned his Wimbledon rivals that he "feels great" on grass after the world number two defied his own expectations by winning the Queen's Club title for a second time. Alcaraz battled to a bruising 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 victory over Czech world number 30 Jiri Lehecka in the final of the Wimbledon warm-up event on Sunday. The 22-year-old has extended his career-best winning streak to 18 matches, putting him in the perfect position to defend his Wimbledon title. Alcaraz has won the French Open, the Rome Masters and Queen's during his blistering run. But the five-time Grand Slam champion had arrived in west London concerned about his ability to make the tricky transition from the clay-court season to the unique demands of the brief grass campaign. Underling the difficulty of the task, Alcaraz is the first player to win Roland Garros and Queen's back to back since Rafael Nadal in 2008. "I'm going to say it's really complicated, the switch from clay to grass in just few days, because that's the time I had before the tournament began, just two days of practising," Alcaraz said. "So I came here with no expectations at all. I came here with a goal to play two or three matches, try to feel great on grass, and give myself the feedback of what I have to improve. "But I got used to the grass really quick, and I'm really proud about it. My goal was complete, and I'm not talking about lifting the trophy or making the final. "It was just to feel great, to feel really comfortable on grass once again." For a player raised on the clay courts of Spain, Alcaraz has become a formidable force on the lawns of Queen's and Wimbledon. He is only the third Spanish man to win four grass-court tournaments after Nadal and Feliciano Lopez. "It's great to be with Rafa and Feli, such great players from our country," he said. "Hopefully now I will not stop here. Hopefully keep going." - 'I had so much hate' - A key part of Alcaraz's winning formula is his ability to switch off from tennis after tournaments to ensure he is refreshed when he returns to the court. The former world number one partied in Ibiza after his epic five-set French Open final triumph against Jannik Sinner earlier this month. He won't have time for a similar holiday before Wimbledon starts on June 30, but he plans to relax as much as possible in London before focusing on his bid for a third successive All England Club crown. "A lot of people ask me the same question: Are you going to go back to Ibiza? I wish! As I said, I'm a player who needs days off to enjoy, days for myself to spend with my friends, with my family, just to turn off my mind," he said. "I can't go back home. I'm going to stay here in London, hopefully enjoy it a little bit, then be back and preparing Wimbledon the best way possible." While Sinner crashed out in the Halle second round against Alexander Bublik this week, Alcaraz's success at Queen's moved his record since losing to David Goffin at the Miami Masters in March to a formidable 27-1. Alcaraz believes that defeat was a transformative moment in his season. "I had so much hate when I lost in Miami. A lot of people started to say 'What's going on with this guy. He just lost in the first round, and he didn't practice, he didn't go to the court'," Alcaraz said. "I think that was the key, just to have five, six days off, not grabbing a racquet, not stepping on the court. Just go to vacation with my family, to turn off my mind, to think what should I have done better? "I just got the joy back. I started to enjoy playing tennis again, realising what is the most important thing for me." smg/ea
