Alcaraz battles through rain delays to get revenge on Paul in Cincinnati

Carlos Alcaraz was out for revenge after losing to Tommy Paul in the Toronto quarter-finals last week. Revenge is exactly what Alcaraz got in round three of the Western & Southern Open on Thursday, but to say that it wasn’t easy would be an understatement.

The world No 1 squandered three match points in the second set, got bageled in the ensuing tiebreaker and survived many hours’ worth of rain delays in the third set before outlasting Paul 7-6(6), 6-7(0), 6-3. Alcaraz booked a spot alongside Max Purcell in the quarter-finals after three hours and nine minutes of play.

There were also multiple rain delays at 4-3 in the third set, which spanned almost four hours.

Three times Alcaraz came within a point of victory when Paul served to stay in the match at 5-6 in the second. The 20-year-old failed convert, and right after that he did not win a single point in the tiebreaker. Nonetheless, Alcaraz bounced back right away in the third with an immediate break for 1-0.

“It was a really tough match,” the Spaniard assured. “We were playing a really close match before the rain came, but I did pretty well. I really wanted to win since I lost in Toronto. I’m getting better and better; I’m really happy to be in the quarter-final here.”

Alcaraz, ranked No 1, will face Australian qualifier Max Purcell next.

Paul followed up his Toronto semi-final performance with Cincinnati victories over Serb Miomir Kecmanovic (7-5, 7-6 (2)) and Frenchman Ugo Humbert (6-1, 7-6 (4)).

Cincinnati Masters, other last 16 results:

• Gael Monfils vs. Novak Djokovic
• Dusan Lajovic vs. Taylor Fritz
• Max Purcell beat Stan Wawrinka (WC): 6-4, 6-2
• Adrian Mannarino beat Mackenzie McDonald (WC): 6-4, 3-0 ret.
• Hubert Hurkacz beat Stefanos Tsitsipas (4): 6-3, 6-4
• Alexander Zverev (16) beat Daniil Medvedev (3): 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
• Alexei Popyrin (LL) beat Emil Ruusuvuori: 6-2, 1-6, 6-3

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