London, (Samajweekly) Spanish World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz fought back from a set down to overcome Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller, claiming his maiden Wimbledon men’s singles title and prolonging the Serbian legend’s wait for the 24th major.
Alcaraz, the reigning US Open champion after winning the title last year, came up with an inspired performance to overcome Djokovic for a 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory that would now extend his stay at the top of the World Rankings.
Alcaraz recovered from a shaky start to deliver a high-quality championship-match display and become just the fifth man in the Open Era to win multiple major titles before turning 21.
With this win, Alcaraz snapped Djokovic’s 34-match winning streak at Wimbledon with his four-hour, 42-minute victory. The 20-year-old, known for his huge groundstrokes and delicate touches, lit up the All England Club courts this fortnight and became just the fourth active male player to lift the trophy at the All England Club, after Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.
It was a disappointing end for 23-time major winner Djokovic after he came to Wimbledon after winning the Australian and French Open titles.
Seven-time Wimbledon winner Djokovic made a sizzling start in the final as he surged to a 5-0 lead and claimed the first set 6-1. But Alcaraz dug deep to clinch a crucial second-set tie-break before holding off a Djokovic comeback to claim the title.
With the pair going toe to toe in a series of scintillating exchanges on the slick Wimbledon grass, their third ATP head-to-head encounter frequently had the crowd on its feet on Centre Court.
