MADRID: Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his 20th birthday on Friday by reaching the Madrid Open final, likening himself to “a bull” in his straight sets win over Borna Coric.
The world No. 2 was at his best to defeat the Croatian 6-4, 6-3. He will face Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, the world No. 65, who had originally been knocked out in qualifying before winning a reprieve, in Sunday’s final.
Alcaraz said he called upon some of the inner motivation which helped him triumph at the US Open in New York last year when he captured his maiden Grand Slam crown. “There was a moment when I repeated what I repeated at the US Open, that I’m a bull, and that I could do it, and it helped me,” he explained.
Alcaraz, reaching his fourth Masters 1000 final, broke for a 3-2 lead in a tight first set and served it out. He broke for 2-1 in the second set and after world No.