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Rune reigns in Barcelona after roaring past Alcaraz

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4 daysTennis

Holger Rune claimed his first ATP title in two years at the Barcelona Open, following a straight-sets victory over a struggling Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

The Dane returned to the winner's circle after prevailing 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 after one hour and 41 minutes in the WTA 500 showpiece.

Monte-Carlo Masters champion Alcaraz, who was on a nine-match winning streak, landed the first blow when he broke to 15 in game five of the opening set, only for Rune to return the favour in the following game.

The Spaniard managed to rescue two set points at 5-4 and lead 3-1 in the tie-break after a double-fault from his opponent, though the latter recovered to draw first blood in his fourth set point.

Alcaraz required a medical timeout in the third game of the second set for treatment on his upper right leg.

Rune, who had beaten reigning champion Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals, took advantage with successive breaks to 15 followed by a love hold to secure the title.

"It means the world. It was such a great match," the sixth seed said. "In the beginning, I was a little bit stressed, because Carlos obviously plays big-time tennis. I had to breathe a lot and find my rhythm.

"After he broke me, I got more into the match and played my tennis. The first set was a big battle. It was super important to win it and gain momentum. I'm so proud of myself.

"I'm very happy with how I stayed composed when it mattered, and I was really brave."

Data Debrief: Rune ends title drought and stalls Alcaraz streaks

This was the first final between two players aged 21 and under since 20-year-old Jannik Sinner defeated 19-year-old Alcaraz in Umag three years ago.

Alcaraz, champion here in 2022 and 2023, saw his 14-match winning streak in Barcelona end, while he suffered only his second defeat in 31 matches on Spanish clay courts since the start of the 2022 season.

After making 33 unforced errors, the Spaniard was denied by two-time Munich champion Rune, who landed his third ATP title on clay, and first overall in ATP 500 events.

The Dane's 50th tour-level win on the surface also ended a 13-match losing streak against top-five opponents.