Carlos Alcaraz edged past Andrey Rublev 6-3 4-6 7-5 in 2 hours and 17 minutes to reach the semifinal the semifinal at the Cincinnati Open.
Alcaraz won three points more than Rublev and was broken two times. Rublev dropped his serve four times in the first and third sets.
Alcaraz held four service games and broke twice in the third and ninth games to close out the first set 6-3.
Rublev won five service games in the second set and broke serve in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Rublev sealed the second set with a hold at 15 in the 10th game forcing the match to the decider. Rublev saved two break points in the fourth game before Alcaraz broke serve in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead. Rublev broke back when Alcaraz was serving for the win. Rublev squandered a break point at 5-6 and Alcaraz closed out the match with a second break.
Acaaraz has extended his Masters 1000 win streak to 15 matches.
Alcaraz has dropped the second after winning the first set in a best of three set match.
“It’s just about accepting the moment, accepting that I am playing a third set, accepting that it’s going to be a really tough battle, and I love that, It was extreme conditions, but I just love playing in front of this energy. I am just really happy to live these kinds of experiences, so I just remind myself of that in these moments”, said Alcaraz.
