Carlos Alcaraz fought his way to a thrilling victory over Hubert Hurkacz in the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Open. After being down a set and facing a match point, Alcaraz rallied to win with a scoreline of 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-3. With this win, the Spanish tennis sensation secures a rematch with Novak Djokovic in the final, a repeat of their epic Wimbledon encounter last month.
Alcaraz, the current world number one, has had a challenging path to the final. Despite winning his second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, he has had to battle through three-set matches in all of his matches at the Cincinnati Open. This includes a hard-fought quarter-final victory over qualifier Max Purcell.
In the semi-final against Hurkacz, Alcaraz started slow and found himself down 3-0 in the opening set. However, he mixed dazzling shotmaking with some errors and managed to take the match to a deciding set. Alcaraz fought off a match point in the second set tiebreak, showcasing his mental resilience and determination to win.
It was in the third set that Alcaraz took control, breaking Hurkacz’s serve to take a 3-1 lead. The Polish player, frustrated by his performance, smashed his racket in frustration. Alcaraz went on to secure the victory, much to the delight of the crowd.
Despite the intense matches he has played this week, Alcaraz expressed his confidence and physical resilience. He stated, “People think that I’m going to be tired in the final, but I feel good. I’m recovering really well with my physio, with my team. I feel like I’m going to play the first match of the tournament. I feel great.”
Djokovic Tops Zverev in the Semis
In the other semi-final match, Alexander Zverev put pressure on Novak Djokovic’s serve, but failed to convert any break point chances. Djokovic, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, managed to serve his way out of trouble and won the first set in a tiebreak. He then broke Zverev’s serve in the second set and despite a late setback, quickly regained his composure and closed out the match.
Speaking about the upcoming final against Alcaraz, Djokovic expressed his excitement, “It’s amazing for the sport to have the number one and number two players facing each other in the final of a big event. This is what everybody wanted and expected. Here we are.”
Alcaraz and Djokovic have faced each other three times before. The Spaniard emerged victorious in their first meeting in the Madrid semi-finals in 2022. Djokovic then won their second encounter in the French Open semi-finals this year, but Alcaraz responded with a memorable five-set victory over Djokovic at Wimbledon in July.