World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz takes on Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open, an ATP 1000 Masters event, in Toronto on Friday.
The clash is scheduled to be the third match on the Center Court on the fifth day of this year’s edition.
When and where to watch?
Alcaraz, the 20-year-old Spaniard, comes into the quarterfinal after beating 15th-seeded Pole Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(3) in a tough round of 16 match. He let a 5-2 lead slip in the third set but managed to close it in the tiebreak, finally converting his fifth match point. The top seed, who got a bye in the first round, had earlier defeated American Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(3) in the second round.
This is Alcaraz’ first tournament on hard court since his loss against Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the Miami Open. Since then, he has won titles in Barcelona, Madrid, Queen’s and most recently, Wimbledon, while also reaching the French Open semifinals. The Spaniard, who will be defending his US Open title this year, is on a 14-match winning streak.
USA’s Paul, seeded 12th, began his campaign in Toronto with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Diego Schwartzman before defeating Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(2), 6-7(2), 6-3 in the second round. He had a comparatively easier outing in the round of 16, beating compatriot Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-2. The 26-year-old American is looking to reach the semifinals of a Masters event for the first time in his career.
Head-to-head record
Played: 2 | Alcaraz: 1 | Paul: 1
Alcaraz and Paul have faced each other twice on the ATP Tour. Their first meeting took place at the same event last year, albeit in Montreal, where Paul triumphed 6-7(4), 7-6(7), 6-3 in a second-round contest that lasted three hours and 20 minutes. Their second and most recent battle happened in the round of 16 in Miami Open this year where the Spaniard won 6-4, 6-4.
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