Alcaraz beats Lehecka in Queen's final to send Wimbledon statement
LONDON: 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-times 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 a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net. — REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Soccer-Yildiz double powers Juventus to 4-1 victory over Wydad Casablanca
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group G - Juventus v Wydad Casablanca - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. - June 22, 2025 Juventus' Andrea Cambiaso and Kenan Yildiz in action with Wydad Casablanca's Nordin Amrabat and Fahd Moufi IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Caean Couto PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) -Kenan Yildiz struck twice and played a key role in an own goal as Juventus secured a 4-1 win over Morocco's Wydad Casablanca in the Club World Cup on Sunday. The Italian side top Group G with six points after two matches, three clear of Manchester City, who play UAE's Al Ain later on Sunday. Both Al Ain and Wydad have no points. Juventus started brightly at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, taking the lead in the sixth minute. Yildiz was instrumental in the opener as his angled shot forced Wydad defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil to turn the ball into his own net in his attempt to block it. Ten minutes later, Yildiz unleashed a spectacular strike from the edge of the box into the top-right corner to give Juventus a 2-0 lead, but a mistake by the Italian defence gifted Thembinkosi Lorch a goal to reduce the deficit in the 25th minute. Juve, however, extended their lead again through Yildiz's brilliance, with the 20-year-old Turkish forward scoring their third goal from close-range in the 69th minute, with substitute Dusan Vlahovic wrapping up their commanding win from the penalty spot deep in added time. (Reporting by Fernando KallasEditing by Toby Davis)
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Alcaraz beats Lehecka in Queen's final to send Wimbledon statement
Tennis - Queen's Club Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 22, 2025 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his final match against Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra LONDON (Reuters) -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-times 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 a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Clare Fallon)
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Alcaraz beats Lehecka in Queen's final to send Wimbledon statement
LONDON: 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-times 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 a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net. — REUTERS
