Carlos Alcaraz Beat Borna Coric To Reach Madrid Open Final

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz beat Borna Coric to reach Madrid Open Final on his 20th birthday.

The world number two was at his best to defeat the Croatian 6-4, 6-3.

He will play against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, the world number 65, who had originally been knocked out in qualifying before winning a reprieve, in Sunday’s final.

Alcaraz disclosed that he called upon some of the inner motivation which helped him triumph at the US Open in New York last year when he captured his maiden Grand Slam crown.

“There was a moment when I repeated what I repeated at the US Open, that I’m a bull, and that I could do it, and it helped me,” he explained.

Alcaraz, reaching his fourth Masters 1000 final, broke for a 3-2 lead in a tight first set and served it out.

He broke for 2-1 in the second set and after world number 20 Coric immediately hit back, did so again for a 3-2 lead, which he consolidated.

Alcaraz sealed the match with another break when Coric went long, ensuring he reached the final only dropping one set en route, against Emil Ruusuvuori.

The top seed was able to celebrate with a birthday cake, offered to him by the tournament organisers after his victory.