Alcaraz-Norrie is the final in Buenos Aires. Bolelli-Fognini doubles

Never been a fan of waiting, Carlos Alcaraz. Number one and Grand Slam winner at 19, an age in which the other tennis players are still juniors or at most young promises full of hope. In the same way, his return after the injury that made him miss the Australian Open so far does not seem exactly marked by the break-in. In fact, the Spaniard is in the final in the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires where, apart from the first match (the running-in one) against Laslo Djere won in three sets, he is facing as he knows how to do, dominating far and wide on clay . Tonight the phenomenal teenager scrambled his compatriot Zapata Miralles in the semifinals with a peremptory 6-2 6-2 in one hour and 17 minutes.

Repertoire

—

A match won easily, where Alcaraz showed all the repertoire that already made him one of the best in the world: impressive forehand and serve, fearsome mobility and recoveries and in general a total mastery of the court. Certainly his opponent, 27 years old and number 74 in the world with a best ranking of 71, is not a very reliable test for Alcaraz, but the sensations for the number two in the world seem to be really good and the path to recovery seems to be the right one. The tennis player from Murcia will face, in the ninth final at ATP level (six wins and two losses so far) Cameron Norrie, who got the better of the Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas in the other semifinal, Lorenzo Musetti’s avenger, with a score of 7-6 (5) 6-4. Obligatory favorite Alcaraz, ready to take the first title of 2023, started a little late but with the usual, threatening promises for his opponents.

Bolelli and Fognini in the final

—

But in the final there are also Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli, who defeated Andrea Vavassori and the Brazilian Marcelo Demoliner in the semifinals with a score of 6-3 7-5, after missing four match points at 5-3 in the second set. In the challenge for the title they will meet the Colombian Nicolas Barrientos and the Israeli Ariel Behar. Bolelli and Fognini won five titles together: Umago 2011, Buenos Aires 2013, and Australian Open 2015, the first Grand Slam for an all-Italian couple since Pietrangeli-Sirola’s Roland Garros in 1959. They then conquered Rio de Janeiro and Umago 2022. Together they have contested another seven finals, the most prestigious being the Masters 1000 at Indian Wells, Monte Carlo and Shanghai in 2015.