Key events
Show key events only
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Carlos Alcaraz beats Jiri Lehecka 7-5 (5)6-7 6-2 to win Queen’s for the second time
Alcaraz 7-5 (5)6-7 6-2 Lehecka* Up 15-0, Lehecka sends a gigantic serve down the T but Alcaraz makes him play one more ball and he overhits his clean-up. And, well, oh dear: a double means 15-30 then a gorgeous inside-out forehand into the corner snatches two championship points.And Alcaraz only needs one, Lehecka betting a backhand, and we are witnessing greatness, people. Lehecka played brilliantly for two sets and be very sure he’s growing into a serious factor in this thing of ours, but genius is as genius does.
Share
Updated at 11.22 EDT
*Alcaraz 7-5 (5)6-7 5-2 Lehecka Lehecka is running out of time to break and, as I type, Alcaraz smites an ace down the middle for 30-0. A classic serve-volley point follows, and another service winner takes him a game away from his second Queen’s title. After a little sit-down, Lehecka will serve to stay in the match.
Share
Alcaraz 7-5 (5)6-7 4-2 Lehecka* A forehand to the ankles catches Lehecka as he comes in and makes 15-all; a decent serve and a terrifying forehand restore his advantage. At 30-all, a service winner takes him to within a point of a hold, and Alcaraz then butchers a forehand long to hand it to him. He’s still in dis ting.
Share
*Alcaraz 7-5 (5)6-7 4-1 Lehecka A fine return helps Lehecka to 15-all and a quality return asks a question; Alcaraz answers it well enough, then nails a backhand down the line for 40-15 before a long battle of slices inspires tittering in the crowd – followed by shushing, of course – until Lehecka errs. Alcaraz is nearly there.
Share
Alcaraz 7-5 (5)6-7 3-1 Lehecka* In Nottingham, Kessler has beaten Yastremska 6-4m7-5 to take the title; while I’m looking that up, Lehecka finds himself down 15-30. And, well, oh dear: a big serve sets up the volley but his hands fail him and he pats into the net so must now face two break points. The first is saved via overhead … but a deep return arrives quickly, and Lehecka can only shovel into the net. Yet again, Alcaraz appears to be finding a way.
Spectators cheer as Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning a point against Jiri Lehecka. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/ReutersShare
Updated at 11.25 EDT
*Alcaraz 7-5 (5)6-7 2-1 Lehecka Lehecka beat Alcaraz on hard earlier this year, and when he makes 0-15 he’ll be smelling opportunity; an effort forehand restores parity in the game. An ace follows, and from there, two more quick points secure the hold.
Share
Alcaraz 7-5 (5)6-7 1-1 Lehecka* Now it’s Lehecka making 40-0 – he must be absolutely flying here, now certain he can hit his best level in a big match against the best. A netted forehand from Alcaraz, and he’s on the board in the third.
Share
*Alcaraz 7-5 (5)6-7 1-0 Lehecka Whatever happens from here, Lehecka has put the tour on notice: he’s ready to compete at the highest level. Alcaraz, meanwhile, holds to love, sealing the game with an ace.
Share
Updated at 10.59 EDT
Jiri Lehecka wins the second set 7-6(5)
Alcaraz 7-5 (5)6-7 Lehecka Well played Jiri Lehecka! A service winner secures the set; doesn’t he deserve that! And don’t we, too! Here comes the decider this match deserves!
Share
Alcaraz 7-5 6-6 Lehecka (5-6) Lehecka’s shown really good mentality today and rebounds from that disappointment with a mahoosive ace … then at 5-5, Alcaraz sends down a double fault! He’s served brilliantly today but goes for a bit too much on his second delivery here – perhaps that’s a consequence of the pressure exerted on return by Lehecka – who now has a set point!
Share
Updated at 10.57 EDT
Alcaraz 7-5 6-6 Lehecka (4-4) Not for long! Another fine return from Lehecka – he’s getting such great depth on these – allows the clean-up and restores the advantage at 4-2. But what can I tell you, mates? We said Alcaraz would probably do whatever this match demanded of him and he flows in to somehow retrieve a drop, sprinting and on the stretch – Lehecka was a little deliberate there – then hoists a lob that his man can’t get back. This is terrific stuff.
Share
Alcaraz 7-5 6-6 Lehecka (2-3) Lehecka holds for 1-0 then lands another ball on the line; it sticks, and Alcaraz yanks wide to cede the mini-break. A service-winner apiece follows, meaning Lehecka leads 3-1, then Alcaraz stretches to conjure a decent return out of nothing, it forces him into the point, and a magical flat forehand down and on to the line retrieves the mini-break.
Jiri Lehecka flips a forehand to Carlos Alcaraz at the men’s singles final at Queen’s. Photograph: Adam Davy/PAShare
Updated at 11.08 EDT
*Alcaraz 7-5 6-6 Lehecka Alcaraz serves into the net, by the standard a chance … and then he does it again; 0-15. Lehecka, though, then swipes a backhand into the net and an ace for 30-15 follows. But have a look! A fantastic next point, two colossal forehands then a deft volley, level the game and the Czech is two points away from the set. AND WHAT ON EARTH?! A return on to the line it too good, Alcaraz dangles a racket and, facing the wrong way, manages a half-volley pick up, so Lehecka marches in to put it away, raising set point in the process … only to go long! Oh mate. Ohhhhh maaaaaate. We’ll see what happens from here, but that is the kind of oversight that can cost matches; he responds well, though, another terrifying forehand making deuce. And facing a second serve, he steels himself, stepping in … only to receive a 117mph second effort that’s far too good. To hit it that hard requires gargantuan cojones, and from there, Alcaraz closes out; a tiebreaker it is.
Share
Alcaraz 7-5 5-6 Lehecka* Alcaraz goes long, just, for 15-0, but a forehand error from Lehecka brings us back level. No matter: a a serve out wide allows the clean up to the opposite corner, an ace out wide makes 40-15, and when a return drops long, the Czech guarantees himself a second-set breaker. Now, can he unload on the Alcaraz serve?
Share
*Alcaraz 7-5 5-5 Lehecka Alcaraz quickly makes 30-0, an overhead to the corner, timed so sweetly – he didn’t hit it hard – takes him to 40, and an ace down the T secures the hold. Lehecka just can’t get anything going on return and it’s really not his fault.
Share
Alcaraz 7-5 4-5 Lehecka* Lehecka will have felt pretty poorly that he didn’t make a first-set breaker and when he slices into the net up 30-0, he has work to do. So he powers down a service winner … then overhits an inside-out forehand to set nerves a-jangling, all the more so when a forehand to the tootsies catches him coming in, his drop sits up and, stranded at the net, he watches Alcaraz swat a winner cross court. No matter! From there, Lehecka makes advantage, then coaxes a backhand winner down the line, and this is impressive stuff. His all-round game is working nicely; his opponent must now serve to stay in the second set…
Share
Updated at 10.31 EDT
*Alcaraz 7-5 4-4 Lehecka Another ace, this time down the T, makes 30-0, but a pass directed into the net with a lot of court at which to aim then invites Lehecka into the game. For all the difference it makes. A body-serve is too good, then another ace secures another hold; I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Alcaraz serve this well. Good luck, everyone else.
Carlos Alcaraz plays a backhand return to Jiri Lehecka. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 11.06 EDT
Alcaraz 7-5 3-4 Lehecka* Lehecka races in to hammer an overhand forehand to the corner for 30-15 – you’ve got to be so strong to do that – but at 40-15, a backhand into the net puts him under. As he serves, I realise that there’s something in his action not unreminiscent of the aforementioned Becker, feet right close together and knee bend generating the power; he finds good enough delivery to secure the hold. Again, he’s right in it as the set reaches the business end.
Share
*Alcaraz 7-5 3-3 Lehecka Alcaraz doesn’t do enough with a forehand but tidies at the net nevertheless; it’s ridiculous how fast he is, but when marvelling at that we mustn’t ignore the anticipation – he couldn’t run so quickly on clay and grass without it. Anyhow, an ace makes 40-0, Lehecka nets a backhand, and round we go again. This match is of proper standard, and it’s a shame it’s over three sets, not 30.
Share
Alcaraz 7-5 2-3 Lehecka* A service winner settles the nerves and a leaping forehand down the line makes 30-0 as Alcaraz slips. From there, Lehecka seals the hold, and even if he loses this match, the way he’s going about it will stand him in good stead for, er, Wimby. He’s moving beautifully now and holding himself like he knows he belongs.
Share
*Alcaraz 7-5 2-2 Lehecka Oh my goodness: if Alcaraz serves as he’s doing today, I’m not sure how you beat him. A love hold, secured with consecutive aces, and seconds after sealing his own, Lehecka is back under pressure. I’d not be shocked to see him broken here.
Share
Alcaraz 7-5 1-2 Lehecka* At 15-all, Lehecka comes in and looks to have done enough with his volley, only for it to clip the net and drop on his side; an ace quickly redeems the situation, a service-winner then improving it. Ahahaha, and an ace on to the T secures a vital hold – this is impressive stuff from the Czech.
“Obviously you’d have to fancy Alcaraz here,” writes Gregory Phillips, “but I bet a lot of players will be hoping to avoid Lehecka at Wimbledon. On this form he could give anyone an argument. You know, Becker won Queen’s in 1985…”
I’m afraid I do know because I’m old enough to remember it happening. I actually bumped into Bozza in Accra the Detty December before last and mentioned that his winning Wmbledon at 17 is still the greatest achievement of my sport-watching career. With a nod to Rob Cross winning the World Darts Championship, of course.
Jiri Lehecka flings off a forehand to Carlos Alcaraz. Photograph: Luke Walker/Getty Images for LTAShare
Updated at 10.53 EDT
*Alcaraz 7-5 1-1 Lehecka You’ve got to laugh: Lehecka hangs in the point, smacks a rally ball towards the baseline, pretty central … and Alcaraz geniuses a forehand winner down the line. A backhand, though, on to the outermost fibre of the paint – Alcaraz leaves it – at least means now love hold, and two more backhands, one line and one cross, set up the delicate volley putaway. At 40-30, Lehecka has a sniff, a forehand return close to the line turns it into an aroma … then he massively overhits his next ball. Still, though, that was his best returning game ins a while.
Share
Alcaraz 7-5 0-1 Lehecka* It won’t exactly feel like he this, but Lehecka should take heart from that first set – he was in it until the end, and it took a bad game coinciding with a good game for his opponent to take it from him. He begins the second with a love hold, sealed with an ace, but can he find a way to make an impression on the Alcaraz serve?
Share
Carlos Alcaraz wins the first set 7-5
*Alcaraz 7-5 Lehecka As we were saying. An ace out wide, cut to hit the box short, makes 15-0 … but another serve out wide is then caressed down the line for a winner! Lehecka isn’t giving this up, but he can’t control either of his next returns meaning, at 40-15, two set points, and shonuff another return, sent wide and long, means the world no 2 leads. He’s playing very, very well here – and credit to Lehecka, he’s forcing that.
These Carlos Alcaraz fans will be pleased that he’s taken the first set. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPAShare
Updated at 10.25 EDT
Alcaraz 6-5 Lehecka* I had the privilege of cutting about the players’ lounge this week, and Alcaraz stood out as the most obviously relaxed person there. The team he’s got around him feels a key part of that – he’s able to be himself and play as himself with no fear of recrimination, which I’m certain helps him under pressure. Anyhow, as I pontificate we reach 30-all and Lehecka has questions to answer … swiping a backhand long after Alcaraz reads his serve and puts him under with a return of testing length. The biggest point of the match is coming up and it’s Lehecka who can’t handle it, netting a backhand. Alcaraz will shortly serve for set one and it’s hard to escape the feeling that whatever he’s asked to do to win this match, he’ll do.
Carlos Alcaraz dinks a forehand over the net to Jiri Lehecka. Photograph: Adam Davy/PAShare
Updated at 10.26 EDT
*Alcaraz 5-5 Lehecka Serving to stay in the set, Alcaraz floats long then Lehecka finds a terrific backhand return that’s too good; 0-30 and pressure! Naturally, an ace follows, then an effort buggy-whip forehand behind a nails second serve; brilliant behaviour and 30-all. Within seconds, a service-winner down the T secures 5-5, and Alcaraz looks up to see his dad shaking a fist.
Share
Alcaraz 4-5 Lehecka* And now a love hold for Lehecka. This set is going to come down to a ball here and there.
Share
Alcaraz 4-4 Lehecka* I’ve been wondering who Lehecka looks like and I’m delighted to advise you I’ve worked it out: Liam “Billy” Whelan of Busby Babe fame. Alcaraz celebrates with a third straight love hold.
Photograph: David Cliff/EPA Photograph: Colorsport/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 09.55 EDT
Alcaraz 3-4 Lehecka* Oooh, Lehecka opens a channel down the line … only to overhit his forehand, then a second serve sits up … only for Alcaraz to drill into the net. And have a look! At 30-15, a forehand flatter than Stanley – seriously, I promise – makes a decent Alcaraz return look silly, wiped down the line with astonishing prejudice, and the hold is secured to 30. This is already a good contest, hinting at developing into much more.
Share
*Alcaraz 3-3 Lehecka You’ve got to laugh: a second-serve ace, out wide, gives Alcaraz 15-0, then Lehecka works the chance to try a forehand winner, slapping wide. He hits the ball really flat flatly flat, which makes him dangerous on grass, but a second consecutive love hold suggests the world no 2 is hitting a groove.
Share
Alcaraz 2-3 Lehecka* Lovely from Lehecka! First, he makes a mess of a volley to go down 0-15 – he doesn’t have the feel Alcaraz does, but then neither does anyone else either – only to respond with a forehand missile and a service winner. Another error then takes us to 30-all, but a big second serve, into the body, raises game point – it takes some moxie to go that hard with a double fault possible – but we go to deuce, whereupon Lehecka thunders a backhand into the net and he’s in trouble. So of course he punishes an ace down the T then punishes a lofted return via brutal forehand winner, and from there he secures the game. Lehecka survives his first test.
Jiri Lehecka bops a backhand return from the baseline. Photograph: Joanna Chan/APShare
Updated at 09.40 EDT
*Alcaraz 2-2 Lehecka Alcaraz opens the game with an ace and a forehand to the corner then incites the return-shank; 30-0. And have a look! At 40-0, a forehand taken in the corner, from around the arse, and whipped down the line secures a love hold.
Share
Alcaraz 1-2 Lehecka* Lehecka will be relatively happy with his start here. And though, I type, at 40-15 he wallops a forehand just wide, he was looking for a winner, only just missed it, and next point he’s more careful in ushering one into the corner; it’s too goo.
Share
*Alcaraz 1-1 Lehecka On our how does Lehecka win this question, Coach Calv messages to say both – he has to stick in rallies and also look to end them quickly if he can, while hoping Alcaraz loses concentration. Sounds easy enough, right? Anyroad up, a sublime touch volley gives Alcaraz 30-15 and from there he quickly levels us up.
Carlos Alcaraz serves to Jiri Lehecka during the men’s singles final at Queen’s. Photograph: Adam Davy/PAShare
Updated at 09.38 EDT
Alcaraz 0-1 Lehecka* (*denotes server) Lehecka starts confidently but gets a bit clever with a volley when he might’ve hit a winner; Alcaraz, though, can’t respond; 15-0. From there, he makes 30-15 after both men stray long on the forehand, a booming forehand/drop combo takes him to game point, and he eventually holds to 30.
Carlos Alcaraz returns to Jiri Lehecka as the men’s singles final at Queen’s gets underway in front of a packed house. Photograph: Adam Davy/PAShare
Updated at 10.03 EDT
Lehecka to serve, ready … play.
Share
Updated at 09.20 EDT
Our coverage has, finally, started, and our players are out. Lehecka will have to start well, but if he can he’s a live dog.
Share
But if we’re talking telly, my current favourite feelgood is Chef’s Table on Netflix. And there appears to be an inexhaustible supply of them.
Share
What?! Points of View is still going?! I did not know that, but I do now know that Lynda Flemmings isn’t happy with the latest series of Glow Up. Incredible scenes.
Share
But how does he win here? He might want to stick in in points, frustrating Alcaraz by hitting down the middle of the court to deny him angles, or he might look to attack on the basis that if he doesn’t, a winner will arrive at some point. It’s not really reflective of my worldview, but I’d take the former option.
Share
So what of today? Lehecka isn’t just a servebot – he’s extremely useful off the ground too – but I’m interested to see how he handles the occasion, Going on to court before one match last year, he was overheard berating his team for putting too much pressure on him by saying he could be world no 1. This is not the kinds of conversation I’d expect Sinner or Alcaraz ever to have had, reason being they’re both born killers. And, though it’s a proclivity that can be nurtured, it suggests a testy relationship with pressure and entitlement.
Share
Good news for the British no 1.
We could easily be discussing this for a decade, but will Draper win a Slam? Mac reckons he’s good for more than one, but I’m less sure. I fear he may struggle to see off Alcaraz on clay and grass, and Sinner on hards. The latter, though, looks his best route.
Share
Also going on:
Share
In Nottingham, where Dayana Yastremska faces McCartney Kessler, they’re off for rain with Kessler up 5-4 in the first.
Share
Preamble
Just under a fortnight ago, Carlos Alcaraz completed one of the great comebacks to beat Jannik Sinner in one of the great finals, winning his second consecutive French Open in the process, and it felt like everything had changed. There was before that match, and there would be after it.
In our minds and our hearts, that might remain the case. But for actual sportsfolk, actual sport isn’t really like that, moving relentlessly and remorselessly on like nothing else has happened, is happening, will happen – it’s Eckhart Tolle’s Power of Now to the nth degree. The past is passed and the future is a promise; all that exists the current moment.
If we were here to improve ourselves we could probably learn something from that; never mind. Even so, though, as they stand before us this afternoon we can be certain Alcaraz doesn’t care about Paris, he just wants to win today, and Jiri Lehecka definitely doesn’t care about Paris, he just wants to win the biggest title of his nascent career.
And believe that he can; when you serve like he does, you can win against anyone, To get to here, he’s seen off Alex de Minaur, Gabriel Diallo, Jacob Fearnley and an admittedly ill Jack Draper – a decent effort nevertheless – and won’t be overawed by the opponent or occasion.
Alcaraz, though, is capable of winning any contest, from any position, in any manner, a creative genius and mentality monster. He is beatable – the options available to him on court are so numerous he sometimes loses himself among them – but if Lehecka is to triumph today, he’ll have to play the match of his life so far, having convinced himself it’s the only match that’s ever been. And even then, it might not be enough.
Play: 2pm BST
Share
