Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jordan Thompson 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 at the Cincinnati Open, claiming his 50th win of the season. The world number one now aims for his seventh trophy of 2023 as he prepares for the US Open title defence within a fortnight.
His victory took three hours, with the world number one breaking open the third set as he delivered two love games and moved through on a second match point.
“I had never played him and the start/stop was not easy,” Alcaraz said. “It was not easy to wait for the rain.
“He played aggressive, I’m glad to get through. It was a long day waiting to play and then finding rain in the first set.
“I had to play my best level at the end; I’m hoping for better conditions in the next round.”
Alcaraz was tested by number 55 Thompson who now stands 2-16 against Top-10 opponents.
The Spaniard had 32 winners and 41 unforced errors in the marathon.
Including a 15-minute pause for rain and subsequent warmup, the first set took nearly 90 minutes, with Thompson saving 10 of a dozen break points only to lose on the first Alcaraz set point.
Alcaraz came back from a break down in the second set and ran away with the third as Thompson complained to the chair umpire about an incorrectly strung racquet which he only discovered at a late stage in the epic.
Comments
SHARE