Carlos Alcaraz wins Queens before Wimbledon defence, Bublik stuns Medvedev in Halle
Carlos Alcaraz clinched the men's singles crown at Queen's Club on Sunday, June 22, laying down a marker ahead of his Wimbledon title defence. The reigning French Open champion overcame Czech star Jiri Lehecka in a hard-fought three-set battle, winning 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 at the iconic Andy Murray Arena.The win marked Alcaraz's fourth career title on grass, drawing him level with Rafael Nadal, who concluded his illustrious career with the same tally on the surface. At just 22, Alcaraz continues to build on a glittering resume and now heads into Wimbledon, which begins on 30 June, brimming with confidence after back-to-back titles on clay and grass.advertisementThis was Alcaraz's second Queen's Club title, having first triumphed at the ATP 500 event in 2023—just weeks before claiming his maiden Wimbledon crown.
Top seed Alcaraz, ranked World No. 2, had to dig deep against Lehecka. After clinching the first set, the Spaniard was pushed to a decider when his Czech opponent raised his level in the second-set tie-break. But Alcaraz found another gear in the final set, racing to a 4-1 lead and eventually closing out the match to secure his fifth title of the season.Speaking after the victory, Alcaraz admitted he arrived in London with modest expectations.'I came without expectations at all—just to play good tennis and prepare for the grass. I have to thank my team for the whole week. I'm lucky to have my family and a lot of friends here who made me feel really comfortable on and off the court. Without them, it wouldn't be possible. Thank you to everyone who supported me—it's always special playing in front of you. I can't wait to come back next year.'BUBLIK WINS HALLE OPEN advertisementAlcaraz will enter Wimbledon as the second seed, behind World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, whom he beat in the French Open final earlier this month. Sinner, meanwhile, exited early at the Halle Open, falling in the Round of 16 to Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, who went on to lift the trophy.Bublik, ranked World No. 45, defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(4) in the final, earning his first-ever win over the Russian after six consecutive defeats. The Kazakh's power-packed performance throughout the week makes him a name to watch at Wimbledon.Medvedev, gracious in defeat, offered praise with a touch of humour:'First of all, Sasha—big congrats to you and your team. I hope you're in Carlos' draw at Wimbledon... Please, Carlos or Jannik's draw!'With momentum firmly on his side, Alcaraz will look to complete a hat-trick at Wimbledon. Sinner will look to recover from that epic five-setter in the French Open final.
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