World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz completed a flawless run to the Erste Bank Open title with a dominant straight-sets win over fifth seed Alex de Minaur, claiming his fourth crown of the season on Sunday.
In blistering form, second seed Carlos Alcaraz delivered a scintillating performance to defeat world No. 10 Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-4 in one hour and 27 minutes.
As a result, the reigning Australian Open champion lifted his first title on Austrian soil, extending his winning streak to 26 matches at the ATP 500 level.
Assessing his performance, the Spanish player said: “I tried to be aggressive and show him that if he wants to win, he has to play better [than me], more aggressive, more solid, and be smarter than me.
"I’m just really happy that at the end I found my way, played great, and obviously it has been a really emotional and amazing week for me. I learned a lot, to keep going forward, step by step, playing on indoor courts, and trying to gain more confidence playing on this surface.”
As It Happened
De Minaur got off to a nervous start in the final, dropping serve in the first and third games, unable to hold his ground against Alcaraz, who dictated the rhythm with depth and precision.
Despite having several chances to win all his first three games, it wasn't until a lengthy fifth service game that the Australian got on the board, 4-1 down.
Meanwhile, the Spaniard stayed dominant, serving well to neutralize his adversary, adding pressure with his high-quality return game throughout.
In a championship match with no margin for error, the 27-year-old double-faulted in the seventh game, allowing his rival to convert a third break to seal the first set 6-1 in 36 minutes.
Picking up where he had left off, the seven-time Grand Slam champion opened the second set with a hold to love.
Alcaraz magic was on full display for the delight of the crowd inside the Wiener Stadthalle, who celebrated the Spaniard ability with a standing ovation.
On a level of his own, the 23-year-old stayed in control, delivering his best performance across five matches.
The rallies intensified as De Minaur kicked up a level, digging deep to stay in contention, keeping the score even at 4-4, and saving break points in the process.
A loose game on serve by the fifth seed paved the way for the Murcia native to convert the break, wrapping up the set 6-4 and the final, becoming a first-time champion in Vienna.
Alcaraz finished with 19 winners against 19 unforced errors, converted four of eight break points and won 81 percent of points behind his first serve.
En route to the championship match, he powered past big names such as Daniil Medvedev, Tommy Paul, Karen Khachanov, and resurgent Nikoloz Basilashvili.
With the triumph, the former world No. 1 clinched his fourth title of the year, his second since returning to tour-level competition from a wrist injury.
Next, he will head to the Rolex Paris Masters, set to play either Czech Jiri Lehecka or American Alex Michelsen in the opening round.