Carlos Alcaraz survives first-set collapse, battles past Jaume Munar to reach Japan Open final

Carlos Alcaraz survived a major scare before finding another gear to book his place in the Japan Open final, rallying past fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo on Monday.The defending champion appeared on course to close out the opening set when he led 5-3 and was serving for it. Instead, his momentum disappeared as Munar won 16 consecutive points to snatch the set and put Alcaraz under pressure. But the world No. 3 responded like a defending champion, raising his level in the second set before taking complete control in the decider to seal a two-hour, 31-minute victory.Alcaraz lets first set slipAlcaraz looked comfortable early on but could not capitalise on his 5-3 advantage. Munar broke back when the Spaniard was serving for the set and then held to move 6-5 ahead before breaking again to take the opening set.It continued a trend for Alcaraz in Tokyo, where he has been forced to dig deep in the opening sets throughout the tournament. He needed tiebreaks to get past Denis Shapovalov, Matteo Arnaldi and Alex Michelsen in the previous three rounds. Against Munar, however, there was no tiebreak comeback needed. Alcaraz had to find another route back into the contest.Seven-time Grand Slam champion shifts gearsAlcaraz immediately put the disappointment behind him in the second set. He broke for a 2-1 lead and added another break to move 4-2 ahead before securing a third break to close out the set 6-3. His first-serve effectiveness also improved, while his heavy forehand and well-timed drop shots began to unsettle Munar.The third set was almost entirely one-way traffic. Alcaraz raced to a 4-0 lead with two breaks and never allowed his compatriot to build any momentum. Munar managed to hold once, but Alcaraz calmly served out the match 6-1.Alcaraz back in a final after long layoffThe victory takes Alcaraz into his first final since returning from a four-and-a-half-month layoff caused by a right wrist injury. He also remains on course to defend the Tokyo title he won in 2025, when he defeated Taylor Fritz in the final.Alcaraz will face Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka in the championship match after the 19th-ranked player defeated Monaco's Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.