British tennis player Cameron Norri with the trophy for the tournament winner in Rio de Janeiro, February 26, 2023.
Rio de Janeiro/Mérida – British tennis player Cameron Norrie defeated world number two Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz on clay in Rio de Janeiro after a turnaround 5:7, 6:4, 7:5 and won his fifth title. Alcaraz already led 7:5 and 3:0 in the final, but then leg problems limited him and he lost this year's unbeaten streak. At the same time, Norrie avenged his defeat in the final in Buenos Aires a week ago.
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Photo gallery: Tennis tournaments 2023
Nineteen-year-old Alcaraz won the US Open last September and became the youngest number one in history. However, he missed the end of the season due to an injury to his abdominal muscles, and at the beginning of this year he was treating his leg again. He returned to the circuit after a break of more than three months last week in the Argentine capital and immediately started by winning the trophy. However, he apparently renewed his problems in Rio. He required treatment already in the semi-final duel.
“I finished the second extremely difficult week of tennis and of course I was not at my best physically. I felt something in my leg, now I will try to get back together,” said Alcaraz. If he won the title in Brazil, he could equal the leader of the rankings, Novak Djokovic. Even so, the Serbian tennis player would defend the throne, because in the last 52 weeks he won more points in major tournaments with mandatory participation.
The tournament in Mérida was won by the Italian Giorgio
Italian tennis player Camila Giorgio defeated Sweden's Rebecca Peterson 7:6, 1:6 and 6:2 in the final in Mérida. On the WTA circuit, she won her first title since August 2021.
Thirty-one-year-old Giorgio claimed her fourth tournament triumph in the tenth final of her career. On the contrary, Peterson missed the chance to end her almost four-year wait for the title. She won both previous final duels in 2019.
Men's tournament in Rio de Janeiro
(clay, subsidy $2,178,980):
Singles – final:
Norrie (2-Brit.) – Alcaraz (1-Sp.) 5:7, 6:4, 7:5.
Doubles – final:
González, Molteni (Arg.) – Cabal, Melo (2-Col./Braz.) 6:1, 7:6 (7 :3) >
Singles – final:
Giorgiová (It.) – Petersonová (Sweden.) 7:6 (7:3), 1:6, 6:2.
Doubles – final:
McNally, Parry (USA/Fr.) – Wang Sin-yü, Wu Fang-hsien (China/Taiwan ) 6:0, 7:5.
