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feather_ghyllI was reminded that Alcaraz and Lehecka had met before on grass in the latter’s 2023 run at Queen’s.
It was a touch cooler and windier than it had been all week. Anyway, Lehecka served first, and Alcaraz showed his intent to try to break, returning some first serves. He also won his service games rather easier. At 5-5, Alcaraz just went another level on return, getting good serves back, putting Lehecka under pressure, breaking and, of course, serving it out. We’d seen some of THOSE forehands en route. Leon Smith observed that the wind was not great for Lehecka’s ball toss and flatter shots.
Lehecka got better during the second set, soon winning his service games with ease (I said ‘Serve!’ admiringly a lot,) and returning better. Although there were some touch shots from Alcaraz, they were more of the half-volleys to get balls back that few others would have variety. There was a bit too much power coming from the other side of the net for many dropshots. So, it went to a tiebreak, and I was impressed that both men were returning serves in the 130 mphs. Lehecka kept getting minibreaks. Alcaraz would then get them back, once in a ridiculous point where he got to two balls that showed how great an athlete he is, and then executed one of those lobs that leave an opponent stranded, wondering how he didn’t win the point. But Lehecka stayed at it with his return and serve and won the second set.
Although they’d already played 24 games and a tiebreak, there was no long break after a set. It helped that some of those games had been won to love or fifteen. When a rally got long, it usually went Alcaraz’s way, but not always.
Not much reaction from Alcaraz from losing the second set, and it really had only been the tiebreak that had separated them. But at 1-1, he did that top-class returning thing again, stressing Lehecka a bit, and insisting on a break. As he hadn’t dropped serve, it felt pretty much a done thing, and soon it was 4-1, which always looks bad. Lehecka briefly regrouped, although there were deep volleys into corners, and proof that that work Alcaraz did on his serve at the end of last year/start of this and the adaptations made to transition from grass to clay in the aces and ease with which he won most points on his first serve. Lehecka was serving at 2-5, and Alcaraz was hungry. Was it in that final game that they had a battle of the slices that Alcaraz won? Anyway, another imperious return game brought up championship point, it got into a rally, Lehecka netted, Alcaraz roared. And then he and the world of tennis smiled.
Lehecka knew what he was up against, and his game has clearly improved, and suits grass. He battled well in the second set, and beat two top 10 players on the way, suggesting he won't be outside the top 20 for long, but Alcaraz can go big on the big points, has his own power and variety to nullify power hitters’ strengths, oh, and the athleticism to get to difficult balls AND the hand skills to do something remarkable once he gets there. He’s also two years older than he was when he first came to Queen’s, more than three and a half years older than when he won his first grand slam, and has just defended another. There are also the extra things to do with his personality and attitude that make everyone a fan – the YESSSSSSS written on the camera was just one endearing moment.
I don’t know if I entirely buy the line that he had low expectations when he came to Queen’s, that may well be the lie he was telling himself (perhaps because of the loss to Rune in, like, April) to lower the pressure, ditto the stuff about the final being a gift, when you saw how much the wins meant to him, and a final is different, and right now he has the winning habit. Adjusting to playing on grass is enough of a challenge to keep him interested. He credited the lengthy match against Munar for giving him time on the grass and getting him to switch to grass mode, and he played at another level thereafter, although Lehecka was a different challenge again. Anyway, Alcaraz has made himself even more of a favourite at Wimbledon with this.
Meanwhile, in Berlin, Vondrousova won her first tournament since Wimbledon two years ago, on grass, beating Xang, who had beaten Gauff in her first post-French Open match. Vondrousova had also beaten Sabalenka en route (Sabalenka having faced down match points to beat Rybakina.) What with Maria’s win at Queen’s, the disruptors with grass pedigree have sent a message to the women’s locker room. Eastbourne this week, with fewer points at stake, but an offer of more time for matches on grass that will appeal to some players.
It was a touch cooler and windier than it had been all week. Anyway, Lehecka served first, and Alcaraz showed his intent to try to break, returning some first serves. He also won his service games rather easier. At 5-5, Alcaraz just went another level on return, getting good serves back, putting Lehecka under pressure, breaking and, of course, serving it out. We’d seen some of THOSE forehands en route. Leon Smith observed that the wind was not great for Lehecka’s ball toss and flatter shots.
Lehecka got better during the second set, soon winning his service games with ease (I said ‘Serve!’ admiringly a lot,) and returning better. Although there were some touch shots from Alcaraz, they were more of the half-volleys to get balls back that few others would have variety. There was a bit too much power coming from the other side of the net for many dropshots. So, it went to a tiebreak, and I was impressed that both men were returning serves in the 130 mphs. Lehecka kept getting minibreaks. Alcaraz would then get them back, once in a ridiculous point where he got to two balls that showed how great an athlete he is, and then executed one of those lobs that leave an opponent stranded, wondering how he didn’t win the point. But Lehecka stayed at it with his return and serve and won the second set.
Although they’d already played 24 games and a tiebreak, there was no long break after a set. It helped that some of those games had been won to love or fifteen. When a rally got long, it usually went Alcaraz’s way, but not always.
Not much reaction from Alcaraz from losing the second set, and it really had only been the tiebreak that had separated them. But at 1-1, he did that top-class returning thing again, stressing Lehecka a bit, and insisting on a break. As he hadn’t dropped serve, it felt pretty much a done thing, and soon it was 4-1, which always looks bad. Lehecka briefly regrouped, although there were deep volleys into corners, and proof that that work Alcaraz did on his serve at the end of last year/start of this and the adaptations made to transition from grass to clay in the aces and ease with which he won most points on his first serve. Lehecka was serving at 2-5, and Alcaraz was hungry. Was it in that final game that they had a battle of the slices that Alcaraz won? Anyway, another imperious return game brought up championship point, it got into a rally, Lehecka netted, Alcaraz roared. And then he and the world of tennis smiled.
Lehecka knew what he was up against, and his game has clearly improved, and suits grass. He battled well in the second set, and beat two top 10 players on the way, suggesting he won't be outside the top 20 for long, but Alcaraz can go big on the big points, has his own power and variety to nullify power hitters’ strengths, oh, and the athleticism to get to difficult balls AND the hand skills to do something remarkable once he gets there. He’s also two years older than he was when he first came to Queen’s, more than three and a half years older than when he won his first grand slam, and has just defended another. There are also the extra things to do with his personality and attitude that make everyone a fan – the YESSSSSSS written on the camera was just one endearing moment.
I don’t know if I entirely buy the line that he had low expectations when he came to Queen’s, that may well be the lie he was telling himself (perhaps because of the loss to Rune in, like, April) to lower the pressure, ditto the stuff about the final being a gift, when you saw how much the wins meant to him, and a final is different, and right now he has the winning habit. Adjusting to playing on grass is enough of a challenge to keep him interested. He credited the lengthy match against Munar for giving him time on the grass and getting him to switch to grass mode, and he played at another level thereafter, although Lehecka was a different challenge again. Anyway, Alcaraz has made himself even more of a favourite at Wimbledon with this.
Meanwhile, in Berlin, Vondrousova won her first tournament since Wimbledon two years ago, on grass, beating Xang, who had beaten Gauff in her first post-French Open match. Vondrousova had also beaten Sabalenka en route (Sabalenka having faced down match points to beat Rybakina.) What with Maria’s win at Queen’s, the disruptors with grass pedigree have sent a message to the women’s locker room. Eastbourne this week, with fewer points at stake, but an offer of more time for matches on grass that will appeal to some players.
