Spain\u2019s Carlos Alcaraz, ranked third in the world, has added the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 title to his growing list of achievements, claiming the prestigious French tournament for the first time after defeating Italy\u2019s Lorenzo Musetti, ranked 16th, 3\u20136, 6\u20131, 6\u20130 in the final.<\/p>
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This is Alcaraz\u2019s sixth ATP Masters 1000 title and his first since winning Indian Wells in the United States last year. The victory provides him with a significant boost, as he is set to move up to world No. 2 in the ATP rankings, overtaking Germany\u2019s Alexander Zverev.<\/p>
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Alcaraz\u2019s path to the trophy was anything but easy. He eliminated fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, ranked 42nd, with a 7\u20136, 6\u20134 victory in a semifinal that lasted two hours and ten minutes. Prior to that, he had beaten Frenchman Arthur Fils 4\u20136, 7\u20135, 6\u20133, Germany\u2019s Daniel Altmaier 6\u20133, 6\u20131, and Argentina\u2019s Francisco Cerundolo 3\u20136, 6\u20130, 6\u20131.<\/p>
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The Spaniard sealed his fourth win in five matches against Musetti, affirming his dominance over the Italian, whose only win came in the Hamburg final in 2022. Alcaraz began the match by breaking Musetti\u2019s serve, but the Italian quickly responded to level at 1\u20131, then secured a second break to take the opening set.<\/p>
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However, the young Spaniard bounced back in the second set, breaking Musetti\u2019s first and second service games to take a commanding 5\u20131 lead. In the seventh game, Musetti had four break point opportunities but failed to convert, allowing Alcaraz to claim the set.<\/p>
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The same story was repeated in the third set, with Alcaraz breaking Musetti\u2019s first two service games. The match was momentarily paused in the fourth game to allow the Italian to receive a medical timeout, but Alcaraz maintained full control of the set, never letting Musetti back into the match, as the Italian struggled with injury.<\/p>
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Alcaraz is now the second player this season to win more than one title, joining Canada\u2019s F\u00e9lix Auger-Aliassime, ranked 19th in the world, who claimed the Rotterdam 500 title in February, along with victories in Adelaide and Montpellier (both 250-level events).<\/p>
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After his victory, Alcaraz said: \u201cThis is not the way I like to win (due to Musetti\u2019s injury in the third set),\u201d and praised his opponent, who played four three-set matches on his way to the final.<\/p>
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He added: \u201cIt\u2019s been a tough week for him with some difficult matches. I hope his injury is not serious.\u201d<\/p>
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Despite the loss, Musetti is guaranteed to rise to No. 11 in the world after reaching his first final at this level. The Italian, who previously won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, had never surpassed the No. 15 spot in the rankings before.<\/p>
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In the quarterfinals, Musetti had knocked out defending champion and three-time Monte Carlo winner Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.<\/p>
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In a week full of surprises and comebacks at Monte Carlo, placing your bets on Betway felt just as thrilling as watching Alcaraz turn the tide\u2014because when it comes to online betting in [country_name], no one serves it better than Betway. Whether it\u2019s tennis upsets or rising stars, Betway always keeps you one step ahead of the game.<\/p>","continue_text":"Continue Reading","main_heading":"Blog"},"yoast_head":"\n