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Carlos Alcaraz faces Alex De Minaur in the final at Queen’s Championship on Sunday. The tournament has been blessed with some scorching weather across the week and fans will see the world No.2 now attempt to win his first-ever ATP trophy on grass, following wins over ArthurRinderknech, JiriLehecka, GrigorDimitrov in the quarters and Sebastian Korda in the semis.
In his way is Australian star De Minaur, ranked No18, with one minor win on grass to his name from 2021. More recently and more impressively, he won the Mexican Open in February, his first title at the ATP500 level. Along the way there he beat Holger Rune and Tommy Paul to triumph, while he again beat Rune in the semis here at Queen’s on Saturday.
Now comes a big test for both as they attempt to lay down their grass-court credentials ahead of Wimbledon. Follow the final at Queen’s live below:
QUEEN’S FINAL LIVE – Alcaraz vs De Minaur
- Carlos Alcaraz looking for first grass-court title
- Alex De Minaur won Mexican Open in February
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Queen’s final first set: Alcaraz 0-0 De Minaur*
Two big serves but well-returned by Alcaraz, making his case very quickly that the Australian will have to be at his absolute best today to triumph.
Alcaraz whips one across court and then goes to play his first patented drop-shot…but it falls short, into the net. An unnecessary mis-step and de Minaur wins three in a row.
Another fantastic rally ensues and Alcaraz just about does enough to win – we’re at deuce.
Karl Matchett25 June 2023 13:45
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.
Karl Matchett25 June 2023 13:41
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.
Karl Matchett25 June 2023 13:39
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.”
Karl Matchett25 June 2023 13:30
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.
Karl Matchett25 June 2023 13:28
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?
Karl Matchett25 June 2023 13:20
Queen’s Club Championships final
Here’s how both men reached the final this week:
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
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
Karl Matchett25 June 2023 13:15
Queen’s Club Championships final
Full Order of Play for Sunday 25 June
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
Alfie Hewett vs Joachim Gerard
Followed by men’s doubles final
Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid vs Joachim Gerard and Stephane Houdet
Karl Matchett25 June 2023 13:10
Queen’s Club Championships final
Latest odds on today’s final:
Karl Matchett25 June 2023 13:06
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:
Karl Matchett25 June 2023 13:02