Alcaraz to Play Lehecka in Japan Open Final
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Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 3, has reached the final of the Japan Open in Tokyo.
To get to the final, Alcaraz had to overcome a big deficit in his match against fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar.
A deficit means being behind in the score. Alcaraz was losing by a large margin but fought back to win.
This win means Alcaraz has reached another major final this season, continuing his strong record in tournaments.
In the final, Alcaraz will face Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic.
Lehecka has also played well this week to reach the final and will be a tough opponent for Alcaraz.
Alcaraz is seeded third in the tournament, which means organisers rank him as one of the strongest players in the draw.
Fans around the world are checking the schedule to find out exactly what time the final will start.
The match will decide who wins the Japan Open title this year.
A win would add another trophy to Alcaraz's growing collection of titles.
Tennis fans are especially interested because Alcaraz is known for his exciting comebacks in difficult matches.
The final in Tokyo is expected to attract strong interest from fans following both players' recent form.
Vocabulary10 words
- overcome
- to successfully deal with a problem
- deficit
- the amount by which you are behind
- final
- the last match that decides the winner
- tournaments
- sports competitions with many matches
- opponent
- the player you compete against
- seeded
- given a rank showing how strong a player is
- schedule
- the planned times for events
- title
- the official name for winning a competition
- trophy
- a prize given to a winner
- comeback
- a return to winning after being behind
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Quiz
Answer key
1. No. 3 2. He overcame a big deficit to win. 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 3, has reached the _____ of the Japan Open in Tokyo.
To get to the final, Alcaraz had to overcome a big _____ in his match against fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar.
A deficit means being behind in the score. Alcaraz was losing by a large margin but fought _____ to win.
This win means Alcaraz has reached another major final this season, continuing his strong record in _____.
In the final, Alcaraz will face Jiri _____ of the Czech Republic.
Lehecka has also played well this week to reach the final and will be a tough _____ for Alcaraz.
Alcaraz is _____ third in the tournament, which means organisers rank him as one of the strongest players in the draw.
Fans around the world are checking the _____ to find out exactly what time the final will start.
A win would add another _____ to Alcaraz's growing collection of titles.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think fans are interested in knowing the exact time of a sports final?
- What does it mean for a player to overcome a big deficit in a match?
- Why might playing a fellow countryman, like Alcaraz vs. Munar, be special for players?
- What qualities do you think help a player come back from losing a match?
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