Cincinnati [US], August 19 : The World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz survived another three-set battle at the Cincinnati Masters as he ended Australian qualifier Max Purcell’s dream run in Cincinnati.
After clawing past Jordan Thompson and Tommy Paul in deciding sets in his first two rounds, the World No. 1 had to battle hard again Purcell in the quarterfinal, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a match that lasted for two hours and 11 minutes.
"It was really tough. It was tricky today. He served really well. I think he played well at the net, but I think I played well. I returned well on court and that was the key to getting the win today, to return very well and to focus. It was not easy but I am really, really happy to reach my seventh Masters 1000 semi-final and first here in Cincinnati," ATP quoted Alcaraz as saying.
The World No.1 will continue the quest for his seventh title of the year when he faces Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals on Saturday. Alcaraz overcame Hurkacz in three sets in Toronto last week.
"It was a tough match in Toronto. He is playing great tennis here and the court is a little bit faster than Toronto, so it is probably better for his game with his big serve. I need to be focused on return to put as much as I can in court," Alcaraz said.
The 20-year-old withstood an aggressive barrage from Purcell, who was appearing in his first Masters 1000 quarter-final. The Australian attacked the net 61 times, putting pressure on Alcaraz, who had to conjure up a series of spectacular passes to stay alive.
Purcell started early and rightly led, but was unable to maintain his level against Alcaraz, who increased his effort and speed across the court to fend off the 25-year-old's spirited performance. The World No. 1 recovered from a break advantage in the third set, finding the Australian's toes in the final minutes of the match to advance.
This week, the 20-year-old Alcaraz is chasing a double reward in Cincinnati, where the race for No. 1 is still on. If the Spaniard progresses to his eighth final of the season, he will be at the top of the ATP Rankings for the 34th week on Monday. If he fails to reach the final, Novak Djokovic will reclaim the top rank by winning the title. In the last eight, the Serbian will face Taylor Fritz.
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