Carlos Alcaraz’s match against Max Purcell was a test of endurance and learning. The Australian, a total unknown in these stages of a Masters 1,000 and with a serve and net game in danger of extinction, managed to snatch the first set from the Spaniard and did not give in until Alcaraz, based on repeating and repeating, found him the trick to ocean tennis
The victory (4-6, 6-3 and 6-4) was much faster than against Tommy Paul and is a breather for Alcaraz’s rugged Cincinnati, who has lost a set in all his matches and has never seemed entirely comfortable with your level. Even so, he reaches the semifinals, where he will face the Polish Hubert Hurkacz, another who was close to beating him last week in Toronto, and will seek the eighth final of the season.
Purcell, a Wimbledon doubles champion, number 70 in the world and with few victories at the ATP level before Cincinnati, surprised Alcaraz in the first games with sudden aggressiveness and a constant attack on the net. It was the opposite of what Alcaraz had been experiencing in his previous games and it took him a while to get used to it.
A single misplay on serve, culminating in a faulty volley and double fault, handed the set to the Australian. That was the key, Purcell took advantage of the only ‘break’ ball that he had and Alcaraz did not.
It was dangerous to run into a tennis player like that and with a set against, but Alcaraz, little by little, found the pulse of the match and based on learning Purcell’s playbook he was getting the hang of it. The Australian’s surprise factor faded and with a brilliant second set, finished in just over half an hour, Alcaraz really landed in the match.
With his foot on the accelerator, he seemed to have victory in his pocket when he went up to 2-0 and 0-40 to catch the double ‘break’, but he was overconfident. At various times in the third set, Alcaraz looked so superior that he did not play with clairvoyance or logic. He went to the net without rhyme or reason and committed too many double faults (four in the third set, eight in the match), a sign of a certain lack of concentration.
He allowed Purcell, who was already in the shower, to row until 2-3 and 3-4, and although he had no real chance of taking the game, he did give scares, such as when Alcaraz served for the game and had to save a break ball. With a direct kick, Alcaraz sealed the victory and let off steam with a shout in the middle of the track. It wasn’t as difficult as against Paul and wasn’t plagued by rain interruptions as against the American, but Alcaraz, who was once again obtuse on breaking balls (he converted 33%), is in the semifinals in Cincinnati, the tenths of the season.
The man from El Palmar, who has never won this Masters 1,000, will play his place in the final this Saturday against Hurkacz, who defeated Alexei Popyrin 6-1, 7-6 (8) and will meet for the third time in his career to Alcaraz. The Spaniard won in Miami 2022 and last week in Toronto, although he had to come back from a set and a ‘break’ against the Pole.
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