Alcaraz wins Buenos Aires title

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz ended his first event of the year with a seventh ATP Tour title – the 19-year-old picking up a 7-5, 6-3 win over Brtain’s Cameron Norrie in the Argentina Open final.

👑 King of Buenos Aires 👑

Carlos Alcaraz makes a successful return to claim his first title of 2023, defeating Cam Norrie 6-3 7-5.@ArgentinaOpen | #ArgOpen2023 pic.twitter.com/79HPzWfD48

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 19, 2023

He became the first Spaniard to win the Buenos Aires trophy since his compatriot Rafael Nadal in 2015 and tied Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten as the highest-ranked winner in tournament history at No. 2 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

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It was Alcaraz’s first title since his milestone US Open triumph as he was forced to miss the Australian Open due to right leg injury.

“I felt very comfortable playing the final,” Alcaraz, who lost just one set in his four victories at the Buenos Aires ATP 250 – in his first match back against Serbia’s Laslo Djere, said. “I knew that it was going to be really difficult.

“I started really focused on what I had to do at the beginning, my game, my level.  This is the level that I have to play in finals.”

Norrie lost his second final of the year, after being bested by Richard Gasquet in Auckland in January.

The world No. 2 Alcaraz next defends his title at the Rio Open.