UNITED STATES: To move to the third round of the Cincinnati Open, Carlos Alcaraz overcame unseeded Australian Jordan Thompson 7-5 4-6 6-3. The win comes as Alcaraz faces challenges at the U.S. Open, which begins later this month. After falling behind in the first set due to rain, Alcaraz bounced back to break Thompson’s serve and secure a 4-4 win.
The defending Flushing Meadows champion, who lost last week in the Toronto quarterfinals, capitalised once again for a 6-5 advantage before winning the set, but Thompson quickly pulled away to take the next set 5-2, putting him under pressure.
Thompson forced a third set after taking the next two games, while Alcaraz struggled with his serve and forehand. After an early break, Alcaraz gained the upper hand in the decisive match, and he won his 50th tour-level match of 2023 in just over three hours.
Alcaraz faced a challenging match in the rain, despite waiting all day for it. Borna Coric, the reigning champion, defeated American Sebastian Korda in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-4, while Taylor Fritz defeated Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka in straight sets 7-6(14), 6-2. The match was challenging, but Alcaraz found his best level in the end.
Croatian Coric won a postponed match due to inclement weather, despite losing in the Toronto tournament’s opening round. Korda, who has faced early exits, had an advantage after converting a breakpoint in the third game. However, Coric leveled the match in the sixth game and defended well to overcome a 4-1 deficit in the tiebreak.
Korda, who struggled in the second set, earned a crucial break in the third game and ended the match with an unreturnable serve, despite dropping one first-serve point. Coric, who had raised the expectations, expressed nervousness before the match. Korda will face Hubert Hurkacz of Poland after defeating Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Fritz defeated Lehecka in a thrilling tiebreak, saving five set points in the opening set. In the second set, Fritz had the upper hand, winning all but one of his first-serve points. Gael Monfils also advanced after needing a medical timeout to tend to his left calf, defeating Cameron Norrie in a 6-3 6-4 6-3 win. Fritz’s strength was evident in the tense and contested match.
Monfils expressed his gratitude to the ATP physiotherapist who provided treatment and remained calm during his match. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry to advance to a match against Novak Djokovic, who he defeated in the Monte Carlo final the previous year.
Felix Auger-Aliassime lost to Adrian Mannarino, while Emil Ruusuvuori won his fourth top 10 title by defeating world number eight Andrey Rublev. Monfils praised the physiotherapist’s professionalism.
Also Read: Former F1 Driver Montoya Dissects Verstappen and Hamilton’s Success: ‘Best Car’ Reigns Supreme
