MADRID: Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his 20th birthday on Friday by returning to the Madrid Open final after beating Borna Coric in straight sets.
The defending champion defeated the 17th-seeded Coric 6-4, 6-3 on the outdoor clay in yet another dominant performance by the home favorite.
The second-ranked Alcaraz will play Jan-Lennard Struff or Aslan Karatsev in Sunday’s final.
Alcaraz is aiming for his fourth title of the season after triumphs in Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, and Barcelona. The Spaniard is also preparing for the French Open this month.
If Alcaraz successfully defends his title in Madrid, he will recover his world No. 1 ranking by playing one match in Rome next week.