Queen’s final 2023 LIVE: Result and reaction as Carlos Alcaraz beats Alex de Minaur in straight sets
Carlos Alcaraz triumphed 6-4 6-4 to win his first grass-court title ahead of Wimbledon
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Your support makes all the difference.Carlos Alcaraz secured his first grass-court title and top billing at Wimbledon with victory over Alex De Minaur in the Queen’s final.
The 20-year-old Spaniard overtook Novak Djokovic as world number one, and confirmed he will be a major contender to take the Serbian’s crown at SW19 next month, with a commanding 6-4 6-4 win at Queen’s Club.
Alcaraz was playing only his third ever grass-court tournament, and his first outside of two underwhelming visits to Wimbledon.
In his first match he needed a third-set tie-break to get past French journeyman Arthur Rinderknech, but as the week wore on he grew in confidence on the surface and by Sunday looked to the manor born.
Alcaraz will now be top seed at Wimbledon and, on this evidence, has a genuine chance to emulate compatriot Rafael Nadal, who won at Queen’s in 2008 and went on to claim the big one three weeks later.
Relive the action from the Queen’s final, below:
Queen’s Club Championships final
Time to get underway! A packed house at Queen’s and all those people basking in the sunshine.
De Minaur to serve first - here we go.
Queen’s Club Championships final
Plenty of cheers for De Minaur as the players are announced, but definitely more of them - and louder ones - for Carlos Alcaraz.
A win today and he returns to world No1 status, remember.
Queen’s Club Championships final
Alex de Minaur ahead of play:
“I wasn’t born the strongest bloke around so I had to look in the mirror and see the parts of my game which had to improve to make me a top player.
“Facing Andy Murray in the first round, my thought was I get to play on centre court! It was a great opportunity to showcase where I’m at and I knew it was going to be tough - but a good way to start the week.”
Queen’s Club Championships final
Warmups just about complete and we’re almost ready to go.
Lots of talk about Alcaraz’s attacking stance from the baseline and his propensity to play a wonderful drop shot.
Can De Minaur cope with that all-round style today? The improvement on grass this week has been astonishing from the young Spaniard.
Queen’s Club Championships final
Around ten minutes until play starts at Queen’s.
The last triumphs for both of these players were not long ago; Australian De Minaur won the Mexican Open in February - an event Alcaraz withdrew from, having been seeded for.
Of late, the Spaniard has won the Indian Wells Masters in March and completed a domestic double in his homeland, the Barcelona Open in April and the Madrid Open in May. The latter two were on clay; can he now win on grass too?
Queen’s Club Championships final
Here’s how both men reached the final this week:
Alcaraz
RO32 vs A. Rinderknech, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6
RO16 vs J. Lehecka, 6-2, 6-3
QF vs G. Dimitrov, 6-4, 6-4
SF vs S. Korda, 6-3, 6-4
De Minaur
RO32 vs A. Murray, 6-3, 6-1
RO16 vs D. Schwartzman, 6-2, 6-2
QF vs A. Mannarino, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
SF vs H. Rune, 6-3, 7-6
Queen’s Club Championships final
Full Order of Play for Sunday 25 June
Centre Court
Starts at 13:30 BST
Carlos Alcaraz vs Alex de Minaur
Followed by men’s doubles final
Taylor Fritz and Jiri Lehecka vs Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek
Court 1 - Wheelchair Championships
Starts At 12:00 Noon BST
Alfie Hewett vs Joachim Gerard
Followed by men’s doubles final
Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid vs Joachim Gerard and Stephane Houdet
Queen’s Club Championships final
Latest odds on today’s final:
To win:
Alcaraz 3/10
De Minaur 3/1
To win 2-0:
Alcaraz 17/20
De Minaur 13/2
Alex De Minaur beats Holger Rune to reach first final at Queen’s
Alex De Minaur reached his first final at Queen’s Club after a grass-court masterclass against Holger Rune at the cinch Championships.
The 24-year-old ‘Demon’ roared to a 6-3 7-6 (2) victory to become the first Australian to make the final since Lleyton Hewitt won his fourth title in 2006.
De Minaur, the boyfriend of Britain’s Katie Boulter, is a proven performer on the grass; he is a former Eastbourne champion and also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year.
Danish rising star Rune, by contrast, remains a work in progress on grass. His win over Maxime Cressy on Tuesday was the first of his career on the surface.
Full report on De Minaur’s impressive run:
Alex De Minaur beats Holger Rune to reach first final at Queen’s
The 24-year-old ‘Demon’ roared to a 6-3 7-6 (2) victory.
Carlos Alcaraz fires a Wimbledon warning to reach Queen’s final
Carlos Alcaraz arrived at Queen’s not knowing it was possible to reclaim the World No 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic and secure the top seed slot ahead of Wimbledon. But as the week has progressed, the 20-year-old has found his feet on grass with impressive speed, and the Spaniard now stands on the brink of a statement victory that will send a warning to the rest of the field at the All England Club next month – including the man looking to win a record-equalling eighth singles title.
Alcaraz’s level has improved day-by-day and he has now reached his first grass-court final, a showdown with the Australian Alex de Minaur. After looking uncomfortable adjusting to the surface in his opening victory against Arthur Rinderknech, Alcaraz has progressed superbly while appearing to unlock a new skill or ability with each win. At first it was the movement, with Alcaraz studying film of Roger Federer and Andy Murray to improve his footwork. In the semi-finals against Sebastian Korda, it was his vicious forehand strike, which dismantled Korda’s big serve and looked close to unstoppable during some of the baseline exchanges.
The rate of Alcaraz’s progress has stunned even him. This is only the third tournament he’s played on grass, and only his second event outside of Wimbledon. He may have been given the top seeding at Queen’s after arriving in West London as a major champion and the youngest world No 1 in history, but other players in the field with a more natural grass game – such as the American Korda – were considered to be stronger favourites for the title.
More on Alcaraz’s run to the final from Jamie Braidwood here:
Carlos Alcaraz fires a Wimbledon warning to reach Queen’s final
Alcaraz will bid for his first grass-court title against Alex de Minaur in the Queen’s final
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