LONDON: Carlos Alcaraz swept past fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday to stretch his winning streak and set up a Queen`s Club final against Czech Jiri Lehecka.

Top seed Alcaraz, 22, had too much firepower for his 37-year-old opponent during a 6-4, 6-4 victory, his 17th successive win and the 250th of his career.

British fans had hoped to witness a final showdown between Alcaraz and home favourite Jack Draper but Lehecka ripped up that script with superb 6-4 4-6 7-5 defeat of the second seed.

Lehecka, 23, is the first Czech man to reach a top level grasscourt final for 15 years. The lastCzech man to reach a top-level grasscourt final was Tomas Berdych at Wimbledon in 2010 and the last to do so at Queen`s was Ivan Lendl in 1990.

`It means a lot. You don`t meet a player like Jack every day, he`s an amazing competitor, Lehecka said.

Playing his first tournament since his epic French Open victory against Jannik Sinner two weeks ago, the 22-year-old Alcaraz is through to his fifth successive final after lifting titles on clay in Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Monte Carlo.

Alcaraz was stretched to the absolute limit against com-patriot Jaume Munar earlier in the week during a tussle lasting more than three hours.

But he was more comfortable against Bautista Agut, who provided stubborn resistance but never really looked like springing an upset on a sultry afternoon in west London as an early break of serve in each set proved sufficient for Alcaraz.

Alcaraz signalled his emergence as a grasscourt force by winning Queen`s in 2023, clinching the Wimbledon title for the first time just weeks later and defending his All England Club crown last year.

He is one victory away from becoming only the second Spaniard to win Queen`s twice, after Feliciano Lopez`s victories in 2017 and 2019.

`I`m playing great tennis. After every match I`m feeling more comfortable. Making the final here is so special once again,` Alcaraz said.

`I love making the crowds enjoy watching my games. Whenever I put a smile on my face I play my best tennis. I try to have fun and bring joy on the court. That is why I`m making good results.

Draper was hoping to become the first British singles champion at Queen`s since five-time winner Andy Murray`s most recent victory in 2016.

But the world number six will have to wait at least another year to get his hands on the silverware after claiming a bout of tonsillitis played a role in his defeat.

`I`m proud of the way I went about things, considering, but it`s tough,` Draper said. `My main goal is to go into Wimbledon as prepared as possible and as fresh as possible.`-Agencies