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Carlos Alcaraz is into the semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open for the fourth consecutive year, and is now two wins from a third consecutive title at Indian Wells.
The Spanish tennis star's 6-3, 7-5 win over Francisco Cerúndolo will put Alcaraz into a semifinal match against 23-year-old Jack Draper of Great Britain.
In one of the more entertaining matches of the tournament, Cerúndolo played an extremely high level. Alcaraz just played better.
The 21-year-old used his blazing speed to race all over the court, chasing down balls that no player would reasonably expect to return. It made for a wildly amusing match, with Cerúndolo occasionally matching Alcaraz, shot-for-shot.
Two of the more athletic players on the ATP Tour put on a show on Stadium Court for the fans, who braved chilly temperatures and swirling wind at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
"Fans are certainly getting their money's worth with this one," commentator Paul Annacone said on the Tennis Channel broadcast.
Alcaraz, in particular, made some jaw-dropping shots that brought a roar from the crowd. Even for Alcaraz, who has now won 16 consecutive matches on these hardcourts, dating back to 2023, the match was a stunning display of his greatness.
“It’s like a magic wand in that young man’s hand," Annacone said, "to mix the touch with the power at the right moment.”
Alcaraz went up a break in the first set and held serve, saving all six break points he faced in the set.
In the second set, Alcaraz went up a break before Cerúndolo converted finally converted a break point to even the score. The two each held serve from there to send the set to a tiebreak.
In the tiebreak, Alcaraz jumped out to a 3-1 lead, then to 4-2 and then to 5-2.
Cerúndolo scored the next two points to make it 5-4, but Alcaraz scored to make it 6-4 and then Cerúndolo buried the ball into the net on the next point to give Alcaraz the win.
Alcaraz is now just the third player to make four consecutive semifinal appearances at Indian Wells, following Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Andrew John covers the BNP Paribas Open for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Carlos Alcaraz dazzles in win over Francisco Cerúndolo at Indian Wells
Continue reading...
The Spanish tennis star's 6-3, 7-5 win over Francisco Cerúndolo will put Alcaraz into a semifinal match against 23-year-old Jack Draper of Great Britain.
In one of the more entertaining matches of the tournament, Cerúndolo played an extremely high level. Alcaraz just played better.
The 21-year-old used his blazing speed to race all over the court, chasing down balls that no player would reasonably expect to return. It made for a wildly amusing match, with Cerúndolo occasionally matching Alcaraz, shot-for-shot.
Two of the more athletic players on the ATP Tour put on a show on Stadium Court for the fans, who braved chilly temperatures and swirling wind at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
"Fans are certainly getting their money's worth with this one," commentator Paul Annacone said on the Tennis Channel broadcast.
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Alcaraz, in particular, made some jaw-dropping shots that brought a roar from the crowd. Even for Alcaraz, who has now won 16 consecutive matches on these hardcourts, dating back to 2023, the match was a stunning display of his greatness.
“It’s like a magic wand in that young man’s hand," Annacone said, "to mix the touch with the power at the right moment.”
Alcaraz went up a break in the first set and held serve, saving all six break points he faced in the set.
In the second set, Alcaraz went up a break before Cerúndolo converted finally converted a break point to even the score. The two each held serve from there to send the set to a tiebreak.
In the tiebreak, Alcaraz jumped out to a 3-1 lead, then to 4-2 and then to 5-2.
Cerúndolo scored the next two points to make it 5-4, but Alcaraz scored to make it 6-4 and then Cerúndolo buried the ball into the net on the next point to give Alcaraz the win.
Alcaraz is now just the third player to make four consecutive semifinal appearances at Indian Wells, following Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Andrew John covers the BNP Paribas Open for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Carlos Alcaraz dazzles in win over Francisco Cerúndolo at Indian Wells
Continue reading...
