Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz booked his place in the Japan Open final on Monday after overcoming fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 in a hard-fought encounter.
The world number three admitted that finding “consistency” at the highest level has been difficult since returning from a wrist injury that kept him out for several months. He reached the quarter-finals of the US Open last month.
“Right now, I’m trying to get my level back. I would say it’s still far from it, still far from it,” he said when asked how his current form compares with the success he enjoyed last year.
Alcaraz said he was “feeling good” but acknowledged that he was still “trying to get into the competition, trying to get into the rhythm of playing matches, playing tournaments.”
The Australian Open champion overcame a difficult spell during the contest, making several unforced errors from the latter stages of the opening set into the middle of the second, as the world number 49 continued to challenge him.
Alcaraz relied on powerful serving and aggressive returns to unsettle Munar, forcing him to cover the baseline before occasionally producing delicate drop shots that thrilled the packed crowd at the Ariake Colosseum.
Munar remained composed and continued to battle, particularly towards the end of the first set, as Alcaraz sent several attempts wide and long while also committing four double faults.
However, Alcaraz continued to apply pressure, finding his range with accurate forehands, quick volleys and well-timed drop shots. He broke Munar’s serve in the first, third and ninth games of the second set to take control.
The Spaniard then produced a dominant display in the deciding set to complete the victory in two hours and 31 minutes.
“I don’t know what happened until the middle of the second set,” Alcaraz said.
“Last year I came here with a lot of trophies… with a lot of confidence. But I’m going to fight for the same result, which I’m really happy about,” he said.
Alcaraz will meet Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka in the final after the 19th-ranked player defeated Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-2.
