Alcaraz’s Indian Wells three-peat bid on track with Draper next up

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Francisco Cerundolo to reach the quarterfinals of the event, which would have ended the youngest American since 2004. The Spaniard will now face Jack Draper in the final round.

Ben Shelton, 22, had made headlines for his home-grown run when Draper, a British player, won in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5.

Alcaraz, the 13th-seeded player, will face the 13th-seeded Draper, who has won 16 matches while 6-3, 7-6, (4) over Cerundolo.

Alcaraz rallied from 1-4 down to win the tiebreaker on a different cold, windy night in the California desert, keeping his title defense alive with a break and two love service holds to put his bid into contention for third straight Indian Wells wins.

In each of his first three games with the baton, Alcaraz was required to save break points. But he got the first break of the match with a deft volley just like he was serving the first set after holding the game a lurgously for 4-3.

After sliding to pop a drop-volley winner over the top of the net for set point, Alcaraz drilled a powerful forehand that Cerundolo was awestruck by.

However, Cerundolo was the one to break out in the second, surviving with 4-1 after converting his ninth break point.

However, he was unable to hold off the world number three, who had a 5-2 lead in the tiebreaker for victory.

Alcaraz, who appeared less at ease in the windy conditions than he did the day before, said, “It was really difficult for me to start the match.”

In the first set, Alcaraz said, “He had a lot of chances.” “I’m just happy that I managed to save all of them and get rid of the one I already had.”

“I didn’t hit the ball as clearly as yesterday, but I just did what I had to, and that’s what it’s all about.”

After taking one break of serve, Draper rallied from 0-3 down in a second-set slugfest.

Five double-faults, with one resulting in Draper getting a break for 6-5 in the second, were made by Shelton’s 32 unforced errors.

In a wild, wind-blown final set, Daniil Medvedev, who had previously finished second to Alcaraz, rallied from a break down to defeat Arthur Fils 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (9/ 7).

The world number six defeated Tallon Griekspoor to reach the semifinals against Denmark’s Holger Rune, who won 7-5, 6-6, and 6-3.

In the third set of a compelling fight that was momentarily paused due to gusting winds that sent towels and trash cans flying on Stadium Court, Medvedev, a six-time Grand Slam champion, lost to 20-year-old Fils 2-4.

In contrast to Medvedev’s formidable defensive abilities, France’s Fils had displayed admirable maturity.

He quickly overcame his first set of forced errors to win the second, and he kept his composure as he won the game with a comfortable victory.

Medvedev, however, held his ground and won with a long backhand volley from Fils, who had forced the tiebreaker.

In order to maintain his bid for a first title since 2023, Medvedev, who had only won one of his previous nine third-set tiebreakers, delivered a leap of pure joy with the win in 2 hours, 25 minutes.

Medvedev said, “I lost a lot of tight matches this year where I could have won or perhaps should have won.” I’ve lost a lot of tight matches where the balance is a little 50-50, and the tighter the tighter the match becomes.

“I was happy that I was able to cross the line because he had a lead in the third period and saved some match points.” I’m happy to win, just.

Rune, who won the Paris Masters final over Novak Djokovic in 2022, is another young gun that Medvedev faces.

Rune has struggled frequently since, but after dropping the first set, the 43-year-old Dutchman who had defeated Alexander Zverev in the second round, he dominated.

Madison Keys then extended her winning streak to 16 matches, defeating wild-card seed Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-1, to reach the women’s semifinals.

The Australian Open champion needed only 65 minutes to complete her rematch with top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-3, later.

Source: Aljazeera