Carlos Alcaraz lined up in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics after crushing Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-1 as the Spaniard hopes to become the youngest to capture the top prize since tennis returned to the games in 1988.
The 21-year-old is also a win away from duplicating the 2008 feat of compatriot Rafael Nadal, by winning Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the Olympic titles in the same season.
Alcaraz needed barely an hour and a quarter to dispatch Canada’s FAA in the semi-finals.
“It’s (the final) going to be a really special moment for me, in my life, in my career, so I’m going to try and enjoy this moment,’ he said.
“It’s going to be difficult, but it’s going to be special… I will try to be focused on myself and try not to hear all this, all the fans, all the people that say ‘I’m going to win’.
“I just want to give 100 per cent my best tennis and hopefully I reach my goal to get the gold.”
Alcaraz did not face a break point in his semi-final domination as he won his 12th consecutive match.
FAA came to the court after competing the day before in singles and the mixed.
“It was probably difficult for him to rest and he probably couldn’t give his best tennis physically in the game,” Alcaraz said.
“I have to be focused on myself, on my game. I’m really happy with my performance.
“(This was) probably one of my best in this tournament so far, so I’m really happy with the feeling and hopefully keep going and be better in the finals.”
Alcaraz joins all-star compatriots Jordi Arrese (1992), Sergi Bruguera (1996) and Nadal (2008) in an Olympic final
