Rome, May 18 (IANS) Carlos Alcaraz silenced the home crowd and halted Jannik Sinner’s bid for a title on his return with a clinical 7-6(5), 6-1 victory in the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Sunday, capturing his seventh ATP Masters 1000 title in the process.

In a highly anticipated clash between two of the brightest stars of the next generation, the 22-year-old Spaniard held his nerve in a tense first set, saving two set points before edging the tiebreak. From there, Alcaraz raised his level further, dominating the second set to snap Sinner’s 26-match winning streak and secure his 19th career tour-level trophy.

“I’m proud of myself, with the way I approached the match mentally. Tactically, I think I played pretty well from the first point until the last one. I didn’t do a rollercoaster… I maintained my good level throughout the whole match, so I’m really proud about everything I did today,” said Alcaraz.

Alcaraz’s triumph in Rome sees him become the first man to win three ATP titles in 2025, adding to earlier triumphs in Rotterdam and Monte-Carlo. He now owns a Tour-leading 30 wins this season and is the fifth man in history to win all three clay-court Masters 1000 events—joining legends Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Gustavo Kuerten, and Marcelo Rios.

The No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Sinner was competing in his first event since winning the Australian Open in January and was aiming to become the first male Italian champion in Rome since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

Alcaraz’s mixture of topspin, variety, and resilience was on full display throughout. He won 21 of 27 first-serve points in the first set and saved all break points faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats. In the second, his relentless baseline play and signature drop shots wore Sinner down, sealing a fourth consecutive win in their head-to-head rivalry.

As the tour heads to Roland Garros, Alcaraz will arrive in Paris brimming with confidence and chasing a second French Open crown.

“All eyes are on Paris right now, on Roland Garros,” said Alcaraz. “Beating Jannik, winning Rome, both things mix together and give [me] great confidence going to Paris. I always say ‘The final is not about playing, the final is about winning’. I just repeat [that] approach everytime I play a final.”

--IANS

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