For the 10th time this year, Alcaraz lost the second set after winning the first in a three-set match. He recovered in the deciding set, as he has in 9 of 10 such matches this season. However, Alcaraz's third-set victory over Rublev wasn't entirely convincing. He missed the opportunity to serve for the match before his opponent double-faulted on match point.
After breaking Rublev's serve to lead 5-3 in the final set, Alcaraz faced a 15-40 deficit in the next game and then made an unforced error. The 22-year-old was broken back to 5-5, but Rublev's double fault in the 12th game allowed Alcaraz to extend his Masters 1000 winning streak to 15 matches, following his titles in Monte Carlo and Rome.
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Alcaraz celebrates his victory over Rublev on Center Court at the Cincinnati Open, Ohio, USA on 15/8. Photo: Reuters |
Alcaraz celebrates his victory over Rublev on Center Court at the Cincinnati Open, Ohio, USA on 15/8. Photo: Reuters
Alcaraz started strong in the first set but faltered in the second, failing to reach a break point and losing 4-6 due to an unforced error. His timely comeback in the third set gave him a 4-1 head-to-head lead over Rublev, after defeating the Russian player in the fourth round of Wimbledon last month.
Alcaraz tied Carlos Moya for the third-most ATP Masters 1000 semifinal appearances (12) by a Spanish player. This season, Alcaraz leads the ATP in match wins (52) and titles (5). In the semifinals, the world number two will face Alexander Zverev, who defeated American Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-2.
Alcaraz's rival, Jannik Sinner, will play his semifinal against world number 136 Terence Atmane. The French player defeated Holger Rune in straight sets in the quarterfinals, while Sinner beat Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-0, 6-3.
Both Cincinnati Open semifinals will take place tomorrow, 17/8. Sinner will face Atmane at 2 a.m. (Hanoi time), while Alcaraz will play Zverev at 5 a.m. In the women's singles, the semifinal matchups are Elena Rybakina versus Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini versus Veronika Kudermetova.
Vy Anh
