Alcaraz became the first player to achieve at least 50 wins in four consecutive seasons since Novak Djokovic between 2013 and 2016. The Spaniard also extended his unbeaten streak at Masters 1000 tournaments to 13.

Alcaraz retrieves a shot during his match against Medjedovic on Center Court in the third round of the Cincinnati Open on 12/8. Photo: Reuters

Alcaraz retrieves a shot during his match against Medjedovic on Center Court in the third round of the Cincinnati Open on 12/8. Photo: Reuters

In the match against Medjedovic, Alcaraz seized a crucial break point in the seventh game of the first set. Despite requiring treatment for neck pain, Medjedovic played well in the second set and broke back to level the score at 3-3. However, inconsistency led to the Serbian player losing the next game after some unsuccessful drop shots.

Capitalizing on this opportunity, Alcaraz finished the match in 95 minutes, converting 3 of 7 break points. While Medjedovic had more winners (25 compared to Alcaraz's 15), Alcaraz limited his unforced errors to 18. Medjedovic, on the other hand, had 38.

"He's a powerful player; it's not easy to return those heavy shots. Hamad also serves very well," Alcaraz said. "I'm pleased with my defense today; I managed to return almost all of his attacks. I knew Hamad doesn't like to move much, so my plan was to make him run as much as possible."

Italian player Luca Nardi is the next obstacle Alcaraz must overcome in his quest for his eighth Masters 1000 title. This year, the Spanish player has already won two clay-court tournaments at this level: Monte Carlo and Rome.

Also in the third round of the Cincinnati Open, Andrey Rublev defeated Alexei Popyrin 6-7, 7-6, 7-5 in a three-hour and 30-minute marathon match. Alexander Zverev was leading Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 5-4 and serving to close out the match when thunderstorms and heavy rain forced the suspension of play for the rest of the day.

Vy Anh