Brave de Minaur downed by Alcaraz in Rotterdam final

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Brave de Minaur downed by Alcaraz in Rotterdam final

Alex de Minaur has suffered the sinking feeling once again of losing a big ATP final to a top-10 opponent as he succumbed to Carlos Alcaraz in three sets despite a typically courageous fight in the Rotterdam Open championship match.

The *********** No.1, who apparently had been feeling a bit under the weather all week at the Dutch event, still stretched the world No.3 in Sunday’s showdown before succumbing 6-4 3-6 6-2.

It was the second successive year ‘******’ had been beaten in the indoor hard-court final, having been defeated in 2024 by the sport’s other young rocket man, Jannik Sinner.

It meant de Minaur had fallen short once again in his bid to become the first *********** to win the prestigious tournament since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004.

Even more frustratingly for him was the knowledge that, for a sixth time, he had missed out in his bid to defeat one of the game’s elite in a tournament final.

In previous finals against top-tenners Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alcaraz, Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev, he had also come off second-best.

And though he has won nine titles in all, defeating one of the big boys in a high-category ATP 500 tournament final keeps eluding him.

De Minaur couldn’t hide his disappointment at the victory presentation as he told the packed Rotterdam Ahoy Arena: “It’s been a lot of improvements in my game over the last couple years, and I’m going to keep on pushing for more.

“It’s been two years now with this runner-up trophy – I’m hoping I’ll get my hand on the winner’s one day.”

He had high praise for his conqueror, though, as he turned to Alcaraz and told him he had been “too good” again.

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