(Tennis news) The 20-year-old finally exacted revenge on Tommy Paul by defeating him in a nail-biting 7-6(6), 6-7(0), 6-3 match in the Round of 16. Tommy Paul had defeated the American a week earlier in Toronto. Beginning the match with some tenacious tennis, the Spaniard overcame a 2-4 deficit to win the first set in a tiebreaker.
The pair then exchanged breaks during the second set. Alcaraz was forced to save a set point down 4-5 before producing three match points on his opponent’s serve at 6-5. Paul, however, saved all three of them with some gutsy play before absolutely dominating the World No. 1 in the second-set tiebreak to equal the match.
However, Alcaraz did not lose focus and cruised to a winning lead in the deciding set before rain delayed the match for 90 minutes. After play resumed, the Spaniard held his nerve and broke again to lead 5-3 and record his second career quarterfinal appearance at the Cincinnati Open.
Max Purcell, on the other hand, played inspiringly in the ATP Masters 1000 tournament. The Australian, ranked 70th in the world, had to beat Aleksei Popyrin and Luca Van Asche in three sets to enter the main draw.
He only got better by the week, defeating much more experienced players like Stan Wawrinka, Casper Ruudi and Lloyd Harris to reach the last eight in Cincinnati.
Having won the Wimbledon doubles crown in 2022, the Australian is no doubt determined to make a name for herself in singles in 2023.
Head-to-Head
The quarterfinal match in Cincinnati is the first career meeting between Carlos Alcaraz and Max Purcell, so the match is currently 0-0.
Predictions
Alcaraz had a much better match against Paul compared to his Cincinnati opener a few days ago. Although his forehand game was as shaky as ever, his serve shone as he won 72% of his first serves in the three-set round of 16. The Spaniard also made good use of his dropshot. He pushed Paul back in the main rally with a heavy finish before surprising the American with his finesse, a tactic that has become his favourite today.
On the other hand, Purcell also has power. However, his back end is nowhere near as solid as that of Alcaraz, who can hit two-handed both across the court and down the line at will.
The key for the Aussie is to show the same aggression against the world number one that he showed in Cincinnati last week. However, that could prove a daunting task against the 20-year-old, who is as capable of defending from the back of the field as he is attacking from the front.
Carlos Alcaraz to win in 2 sets
Also read: Zverev defeats Medvedev in R.O.16
