Carlos Alcaraz, number one in the world, was against the ropes this Friday, but he came back from the Australian Max Purcell and won 4-6, 6-3 and 6-4 to advance to the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters 1,000 for the first time, in those that will be measured with the Polish Hubert Hurkacz.
He needs to pull his competitive soul to Alcaraz in Cincinnati, where up to now he has won three battles of high technical and mental intensity. He won all three of his matches in three sets, against Australian Jordan Thompson, American Tommy Paul and Purcell, but he got the best tennis out of him in the decisive moments and is now two matches away from the fifth Masters 1,000 of his career.
Alcaraz found himself in a familiar situation. Last year, on this same track and in this round, he was a break ahead of the British Cameron Norrie. He failed to take advantage of it and ended up eliminated. This year, with two more 'greats' to his credit and as number one in the world, he did not make the same mistake. He waited for his chance and this time he sealed the ticket to the semifinals.
The Murcian celebrated in style. Because he had a rival he had never come across and who had been playing great tennis. He had been competing on the Cincinnati concrete for a week, made it through two qualifying rounds and sealed two victories against Norway's Casper Ruud and Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka on his way to his first ATP 1,000 quarterfinal. The brilliant level shown this Friday is far from the 70th position he occupies in the world ranking.
Alcaraz, who won six titles this year, with the icing on the crown at Wimbledon, had a breaking ball on Purcell's first serve, but was unable to take advantage of it and then ran into a confident opponent.
The Murcian fought for the points, but Purcell managed to address him on a first-name basis, without fear of prolonging the exchanges. The Murcian never scored more than two points against Purcell's serve in the rest of the first set. The oceanic player, for his part, was aggressive to the rest and made a single good break in the seventh game to win the first set 6-4.
Once again, Alcaraz was forced to fight against the current. He did it last week in Toronto to overcome Hurkacz and in the same Cincinnati against the Australian Jordan Thompson and Tommy Paul, who had a favorable wind on Tuesday and Thursday, after tying the match in the second set and forcing the third.
Somehow Alcaraz is comfortable in the most demanding moments. He knew how to keep a cool head and started the second set with a break in Purcell's first turn to serve to escape 3-0 in just twelve minutes. He increased the revs of the Murcian engine and, with three service winners included and quality drop shots, he equalized the clash with a 6-3.
Purcell paid off the strain, apparently. He committed two consecutive double faults in his first service game and Alcaraz punished him with a tremendous through backhand accompanied by a "let's go" that put a break up.
The Australian also conceded three 'break' balls with 0-2 in the light, but saved them and, at one point, changed the history of the duel again. He recovered the 'break' and chained three games in a row to get ahead and open a new game.
The balance held until 4-4. Purcell connected two great first serves, but Alcaraz responded to both and signed a break to nil, this time, definitive.
He closed the match with a winning serve, after canceling the last break ball in favor of Purcell, and after two hours and eleven minutes of tremendous battle he was able to release his happiness.
Alcaraz will fight this Saturday with Hurkacz for a place in the final on Sunday. He has won both precedents against the Pole, including last week in Toronto, when he came from behind to win in three sets. The Murcian also beat him in the Miami 2022 semifinals, when he would end up winning his first Masters 1,000.
