Bidding to win his seventh title of the season, top seed Carlos Alcaraz came back from a set down to notch a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Australian qualifier Max Purcell after two hours and 12 minutes at the Masters 1000 event on Friday afternoon.
In his on-court interview after claiming victory No. 52 of the year, he outlined: โIt was really tough. It was tricky today. 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.โ
โTo return very well and to focus. It was not easy, but I am really, really happy to reach my seventh Masters 1000 semifinal and first here in Cincinnati.โ
On Saturday, the 20-year-old will square off World No. 20 Hubert Hurkacz, who ousted lucky loser Alexei Popyrin 6-1, 7-6(8) in 77 minutes to progress to his fifth Masters 1000 semifinal without facing a break point.
In their first meeting at tour level, Purcell, who came from qualifying, going the distance to make his first ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal appearance, took the Center Court to face no other than World No. 1 Alcaraz.
In the seventh game of the opening set, a double fault hit by the Spanish player gave the Aussie breathing room to convert the first break of serve in the quarterfinal clash, extending his advantage to 5-3.
Hitting the ball cleanly, the 25-year-old marched to seal a straightforward first-set win 6-4 in 43 minutes.
Consistent behind his serve, he won 72 percent of the first serve points, saving the lone break point he faced.
Moreover, Purcell, who has won three ATP doubles titles, reaching six finals - two at the Australian Open - covered the net wisely across the opener, winning 14 of 22 net approaches.
Alcaraz quickly regrouped, breaking to open the second set, and held to take a 2-0 lead.
The Wimbledon champion would hold onto his advantage for much of the set, improving his serve significantly, winning 83 percent of the first serve points and 77 percent on his second delivery.
Then, he served for the set, wrapping up 6-3 in 36 minutes to even the matchup at one set apiece.
In the decider, the Sydney born recovered from 0-2 down, producing a late challenge, breaking his adversary to draw level in the fourth game, and holding to jump ahead at 3-2.
However, the Spanish star held his nerve, breaking twice, and after saving a break point when serving for the match, he closed out a three sets triumph.
He finished with 30 winners (6 aces) to 16 unforced errors (8 double faults), converting three of nine break point opportunities.
Despite the quarterfinals defeat, Purcellโs dream run in Ohio will see him crack into the Top 50 for the first time in his career.
Throughout the tournament, the first qualifier to reach the last four in Cincinnati since 2019 produced notable performances.
In his first-round main draw match, he stunned fifth seed Casper Ruud, recording the biggest win of his career.
On Thursday, he secured his spot in a career-first Masters 1000 quarterfinal, upsetting three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in straight sets.
For his part, Alcaraz will face Hurkacz for the second week in a row after battling to topple the Pole in three sets in Toronto.
In that regard, he shared: โIt was a tough match in Toronto. He is playing great tennis here, and the court is a little bit faster than in Toronto, so it is probably better for his game with his big serve.โ
Alcaraz leads in their series 2-0; both victories took place on the hard courts at Masters 1000 events, Miami in 2022, and Toronto last week.
The 26-year-old from Wroclaw is enjoying a solid run of form this year, which includes his sixth singles title on tour, captured in Marseille.
En route to the last four, he shocked defending champion Borna Coric and World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas.
โYou come to every single match with the belief that you are going to win the match. Otherwise, there is no point in showing up,โ Hurkacz said after edging Popyrin.