Alcaraz upsets Tsitsipas to progress to the quarters
IN one of the matches of the season, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz has beaten world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round at Miami 7-5, 6-3.
Alcaraz is having a stellar season, and his latest win continues that run.
He now moves to a 15-2 record for the season, and he is now one win away from back to back ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals after reaching that stage at Indian Wells.
Alcaraz lost an early break to the Greek, but then the teenager took charge of the situation and then won the next seven straight matches after he was 2-5 down.
Despite the straight sets loss, Tsitsipas served four more aces (5-1) then Alcaraz, and Alcaraz served one more double fault than the Greek did (2-1).
The Spaniard also won the first serve percentage (69 to 59), but remarkably the first serve points won percentage was dead even between both players at 74 apiece.
The second serve points won percentage was low for both players, but Alcaraz still won it 45 per cent to 28.
Something that certainly was not low was Alcaraz’s break points saved percentage. He saved 88 per cent of all the break points he faced in the match. Tsitsipas’ was also pretty high at 64 per cent.
Post match, Alcaraz noted how tough that first set was.
“It was really, really tough. He was playing unbelievable,” he said. “All I can say is I fought until the last ball in the first set [to] come back.”
“I knew that Stefanos is a player who always is looking for his forehand,” said Alcaraz said, describing Tsitsipas’ game plan. “I tried to hit two or three backhands cross-court and then switch to down the line, to his running forehand. It was a key. I think he lives in the backhand side all the time, looking for his forehand, as I said. It was pretty important, the backhand down the line.”
Next up, Alcaraz will face unseeded Serb Miomir Kecmanovic, who beat the tournament’s 11th seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Miami Open Results:
WTA Quarter Finals
(22) Belinda Bencic (SUI) defeated Daria Saville (AUS) 6-1 6-2
Naomi Osaka (JPN) defeated (9) Danielle Collins (USA) 6 -2 6-1
ATP Round of 16
(1) Daniil Medvedev (-) defeated Jenson Brooksby (USA) 7-5 6-1
(2) Alexander Zverev (GER) defeated (Q) Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUs) 6-4, 6-4
(6) Casper Ruud (NOR) defeated (10) Cameron Norrie (GBR) 6-3, 6-4
(8) Hubert Hurkacz (POL) defeated Lloyd Harris (RSA) 7-63 6-2
(9) Jannik Sinner (ITA) defeated (WC) Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 7-63 6-3
Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) defeated (28) Frances Tiafoe Tiafoe (USA) 6-72 7-63 6-2
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