TOKYO -- Carlos Alcaraz required two tournaments after a 4½-month injury layoff to raise another trophy.
The third-ranked Alcaraz beat Jiri Lehecka 7-6 (4), 6-4 on Tuesday to successfully defend his Japan Open title.
Alcaraz returned from a right wrist injury in late August and made a run to the US Open quarterfinals, where he lost to Ben Shelton in a match that ended at 3:33 a.m. He's been wearing a compression sleeve on his right arm since his return.
It was Alcaraz's third title of the year and first since winning in Doha, Qatar, in February. At the start of the year he won his seventh Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
It was the 27th title of Alcaraz's career.
The 19th-ranked Lehecka entered the final on a six-match winning streak. He won both of his singles matches when he led the Czech Republic past the United States to qualify for the Davis Cup Final 8 then also took his opening four matches in Tokyo.
Alcaraz was broken in the opening game of the final but broke back for 3-3. In the tiebreaker, Alcaraz fell behind 4-2 then won five straight points.
He was at his best in the tiebreaker, digging out a difficult shot at his feet following a net cord from Lehecka, producing a massive forehand return and then a forehand drop-shot winner. Lehecka missed two backhands to end the set.
Alcaraz broke Lehecka again midway through the second set and served it out at love on his first opportunity.
