Rafael Reaps Fifth Successive PSA Title In Brazil

Brazil's Rafael F Alarcon romped to victory in the MDO Open at the MDO Club in the Brazilian capital Brasilia to notch up his 20th successive PSA Tour match win - and his fifth Tour title in a row!

The final against second-seeded Colombian Miguel Angel Rodriguez started well for Brazil's six-times national champion, who won five points in a row from 6-6 in the first game to open up a one-game lead.

After taking the second, top seed Alarcon fell behind at the beginning of the third, but as Rodriguez began to tire, the local favourite re-established control of the game to forge an 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 victory in 36 minutes.

"I am very happy," said Alarcon, the 29-year-old from Sao Paulo who also beat Rodriguez in last week's final of the Ornitargin Open in Goiania. "These two titles in a week will certainly help me to enter the top 40 in the next PSA rankings in July. If this happens, I will be the best Brazilian ever on the world rankings, beating Kiko Frisoni, who was number 42 in the world!

"I want to thank my whole team - Sabir Butt (my coach), Sergio Oprea (my manager), Eduardo Farias and Ronaldo Abud (my medical team) and my training partners Luciano Barbosa and Edilson Nunes," added the new MDO champion.

Opponent Rodriguez was very disappointed: "Rafael played very well, he volleys everything and made me run to all the four corners! I became very tired from the middle of the second game - and he knew this.

"But it was a good week with two finals that will push me up in the next rankings," concluded the 20-year-old from Bogotá.

Alarcon is now preparing to go to Europe, where he hopes to compete in the Mamut English Open in Sheffield for the first time in August - as well the Heliopolis Open and the World Open in Egypt.

Final:
[1] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) bt [2] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 (36m)