Alcaraz clinches Monte-Carlo Masters after Musetti injury

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Lorenzo Musetti to win the Monte-Carlo Masters in Monaco on Sunday, coming from behind to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 and claim his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title.

Musetti entered the match as a $4.33 underdog across tennis betting sites but started the stronger of the two, breaking the second seed twice in the first four games.

Playing in his maiden Masters 1000 final, the Italian showed little sign of nerves as he closed out the opener 6-3 and drew within a set of the biggest win of his career.

Musetti’s level dipped in the second and third sets, however, in part due to a leg injury that he received a medical timeout for late in the match.

This made the remaining two sets a near non-contest as Alcaraz won 12 of 13 games and raced to victory in an hour and 47 minutes.

“We still don’t know yet exactly, but of course we going do some exams in the next days,” Musetti said of his injury afterwards.

“The thing is that, as you probably saw, I couldn’t, you know, finish the match properly, but, you know, in a final, I didn’t want to retire.

“It was probably the best way to finish, even if I was not able to play anymore.

“Probably the toughness of the long week and the long matches that I played, at the end it cost me a little bit today.”

The title was Alcaraz’s first Masters 1000 crown in 13 months, moving him ahead of Alexander Zverev to No.2 in the world rankings.

Speaking to media after the match, he dispelled any idea that he was in Monte-Carlo to prove a point.

“I don’t feel that way,” Alcaraz said.

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“When you’re not winning or the people have really high expectations of you, you don’t win tournaments or matches, they probably talk a lot, let’s say.

“I just realised that I don’t have to think about all they talking about and just focus on myself.

“So I’m not going to say I just proved them, that they’re wrong.

“But I just really happy to be able to refocus the important things and just be focused on myself and the part that I have to follow with my team, with my close people, and just playing for myself.

“I’m just really happy that I was able to do it.”

Both men’s French Open odds have shortened as a result of their respective runs in Monte-Carlo, with BetOnline pricing Alcaraz at $2 and Musetti at $34 to claim the title in Paris.

Alcaraz will also be in action this week in Barcelona, where he is a $2.05 favourite on tennis betting apps to win the ATP 500 title.

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