Alcaraz lost three sets at Cincinnati Masters
After spending three sets to defeat Jordan Thompson and Tommy Paul in the previous two matches at the tournament, Alcaraz continued to experience a difficult match against Purcell. The best player in the world took two hours and 11 minutes to beat the opponent who had to go through the qualifiers.
Only one game won on return was enough for Purcell to win the first set 6-4. Australian tennis player Casper Ruud and Stan Wawrinka eliminated in the previous two rounds to reach the quarterfinals of the Masters 1000 for the first time. Purcell played fair with Alcaraz, thanks to his ability to serve, forehand and play the net well. However, the bravery of the world number one helped Alcaraz return in the next two sets and win back thanks to a series of passing shots.
"It was a very tough match," Alcaraz said after first reaching the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Masters. "He serves very well, but I also play focused and return well."
The Spaniard raised his season record to 52 wins and five losses. He is the only person to have reached 50 ATP wins this year. The second is Daniil Medvedev with 49 matches. Medvedev was eliminated in the third round, losing to Alexander Zverev in three sets.
For the seventh time in the Masters 1000 semi-finals, Alcaraz hopes to claim a third title at this level in 2023, following successes at Indian Wells and Madrid. In the semi-finals, he will face Hurbert Hurkacz - who lost to Alcaraz in three sets in Toronto last week.
"Hurkacz played really well in the Rogers Cup," Alcaraz said of his upcoming opponent. "The ground in Cincinnati is faster than in Toronto, so he will benefit in the next game because he serves well."
Alcaraz spent eight hours and 22 minutes on the field after three games in Cincinnati. If Alcaraz defeats Hurkacz, the Spaniard will definitely keep the top of the ATP table after the tournament and will enter the US Open as the number one seed. If losing in the semi-finals, Alcaraz could lose the number one position in case Novak Djokovic wins.
