Tennis: Alcaraz survives qualifier Purcell to reach Cincinnati semis

CINCINNATI -- World number one Carlos Alcaraz shook off a slow start and held on late to beat qualifier Max Purcell 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and reach the semi-finals of the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Open on Friday.

The Spanish top seed was caught out by the 70th-ranked Australian, dropping the first set in 44 minutes.

Alcaraz steadied the ship to force a third, struggling through an exchange of service breaks before breaking for a 5-4 lead and serving out the victory.

Alcaraz, the Wimbledon champion chasing a seventh title of the season, polished off the win in two and a quarter hours with an ace among his 29 winners.

Purcell, meanwhile, was hindered by 49 unforced errors in the tight contest.

"It was really tough and tricky today, he serves really well," Alcaraz said. "He played well at the net. I returned well, that was the key to the win.

"I'm happy to have my seventh Masters semi-final here in Cincy."

Alcaraz booked a semi-final clash with Poland's Hubert Hurkacz, who needed seven match points to finally put away Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-1, 7-6 (10/8).

Cincinnati marked the first time since Cincy 2002 (Lleyton Hewitt, Wayne Arthurs) that two Aussies competed in a Masters quarter-finals.

Alcaraz had a close call with Hurkacz last week in Toronto, winning the third set in a tiebreaker.

"The court is faster here than in Toronto and that will be good for his game." Alcaraz predicted. "I have to focus on return and try to play well in the rallies.

"I'll do my best - I'll go for it."

Hurkacz had 19 winners and the same number of unforced errors in beating Popyrin, the first lucky loser to reach the quarters in Cincinnati since Jeremy Chardy in 2012.

"I'm happy to finish in straight sets," Hurkacz said. "I had to stay aggressive and keep my foot on the gas. I'm really happy with how I played."

- Swiatek tops Vondrousova -

In the WTA draw, top-seeded Iga Swiatek proved to be a quick learner as she ousted Marketa Vondrousova 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 in a battle of Grand Slam champions.

Swiatek, the reigning US Open and French Open champion, said she applied the lessons from her first-set struggles in the second to sweep past Wimbledon winner Vondrousova.

She had lost serve twice in the opening set as she struggled with Vondrousova's lefty game, but broke as the Czech served for the set and eventually won the tiebreaker.

Swiatek dominated the second set to claim the victory in 93 minutes.

"It's not easy to adjust to her spin," Swiatek said. "After the first set, I was determined to fight for every ball.

"I was more focused and I knew what worked," she added. "I learned from the first set. I knew exactly how I should play. That's why it was such a good performance."

The Polish star will play for a place in the final against seventh-seeded American Coco Gauff -- who tossed a racquet in anger on the way to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Jasmine Paolini.

"I showed a little anger, but it was needed," Gauff said. "Usually they say don’t throw your racquet but I won six games in a row. What can you do? At least no one got hurt."

Czech Karolina Muchova advanced to the final four without problem as compatriot Marie Bouzkova retired injured after losing all three games they played.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Federer, Djokovic advance as Serena pulls out in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI -- Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic overwhelmed opponents at the WTA-ATP Cincinnati Masters on Tuesday, where Serena Williams withdrew because of back trouble.

Williams had hoped to rebound from the back spasms that forced her out of the WTA final in Toronto on Sunday, where she lasted only four games before retiring.

But the 23-time Grand Slam champion said her back was "still not right" casting a further shadow on her chances at the US Open starting in Flushing Meadows on August 26.

For Djokovic and Federer, back in action for the first time since the Serb's victory over the Swiss in the Wimbledon final, it was a smooth start to their US Open build-up.

Federer, seeded third, remained unruffled by a one-hour rain interruption at 2-2 in the second set, eventually defeating Argentina's Juan Ignacio Londero 6-3, 6-4 to reach the third round at the event he has won seven times.

"I'm very happy, even if it was a bit tricky with the rain delay," Federer said. "I'm happy to be back on court.

"This is the start of a long, long hardcourt swing. It's good to begin with a win.

"I didn't know that much about my opponent -- he's new to the tour -- but at the end you have to concentrate on your own game."

Defending champion Djokovic double faulted three times as he dropped serve in the opening game against Sam Querrey but quickly put things right and pulled away for a 7-5, 6-1 victory over the American.

"I ended the match well even if the start was nervy," said Djokovic, who would break Querrey twice to take the first set then roll to victory.

"Sam was feeling comfortable on the court at the start and dictating. It was tough facing his big serve," Djokovic said, adding that he was "hoping for a better performance in the next round."

Williams, meanwhile, was left just trying to get healthy after pulling out of her scheduled first-round match against qualifier Zarina Diyas.

"I came to Mason (Ohio) on Sunday and have tried everything to be ready to play tonight, and was still hopeful after my practice this morning," Williams said in a statement released by tournament officials.

"But unfortunately my back is still not right."

It's another injury blow for the 37-year-old American, who was hampered by knee trouble earlier this season and remains in search of her first title since the 2017 Australian Open.

In early action, Stan Wawrinka won a first-round battle as he eliminated 2017 Cincinnati champion Grigor Dimitrov 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

Under leaden skies after an overnight thunderstorm, Dimitrov broke in the 12th game of the first set to take the lead. The 33-year-old Swiss fought back with the only break in the second set.

Wawrinka then raced into a 5-1 lead in the final set but wasted two match points in the eighth game and was broken twice while serving for victory.

Wawrinka had to hold off his Bulgarian opponent in the final-set tiebreaker before squeezing through in more than two and a half hours with his 10th ace.

- Venus topples Bertens -

Venus Williams kept the family flag flying, the 39-year-old American putting her decades of experience to good use in a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4) victory over defending champion Kiki Bertens.

"Before the match I felt quite good. Stepping on court, I'd say first few games was pretty bad," Bertens said. "I didn't start the match in a loose way. I knew that I had to defend the title."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Halep through but Stephens exits in Cincinnati

Top seed Simona Halep returned to sew up victory over Ajla Tomljanovic on Thursday after their second round match at the Cincinnati Open had been suspended the previous day due to rain, while reigning U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens was knocked out in the third round by Elise Mertens.

Stephens, seeded third, fell to the 15th seeded Belgian 7-6(8) 6-2 and failed to reach the quarter-finals for the third time in her past four events.

German fourth seed Angelique Kerber was also upset, going down 2-6 7-6(3) 6-4 to American Madison Keys, while Aryna Sabalenka beat sixth seed Caroline Garcia 6-4 3-6 7-5.

Keys recorded 55 winners to beat Kerber, a rare victory over the German who has come out on top in seven of their nine meetings.

"Considering the last -- what was it, six times? -- it didn't go so hot, this victory feels good,” Keys said.

“More than anything, it was just how I handled being down and not letting the previous results kind of spiral in my head for me. I think that's what I'm happiest with.”

Halep had been two games away from reaching the third round when rain interrupted her match against Australian Tomljanovic on Wednesday, and while the conclusion was delayed again for about four hours on Thursday the Romanian wasted little time wrapping it up when she got the chance, sealing it 4-6 6-3 6-3.

Halep had been due to play her third-round match on Thursday against another Australian, Ashleigh Barty, but that has been postponed until Friday.

Halep owns a 1-0 career record against Barty, with the win coming last week in the semi-finals at Montreal where the French Open champion went on to capture her third title of the season.

Kiki Bertens and Anett Kontaveit had their match suspended due to rain. Bertens took the first set 6-3 and Kontaveit led 4-1 in the second when play was halted. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar/Peter Rutherford)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Muguruza outlasts Kuznetsova, next faces Pliskova in Cincinnati

Fourth-seeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza won a lengthy battle against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-2 5-7 7-5 on a hot and windy day on Friday to reach the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.

Wimbledon champion Muguruza stuck out her tongue in exasperation after finally prevailing in the two hour 45-minute contest between the two grand slam winners.

Playing a day after deadly attacks killed a total of 14 people in Barcelona and the coastal town of Cambrils in Spain, Muguruza wore a white visor with a black ribbon as a tribute.

"Barcelona te siento. Barcelona I feel you," Muguruza wrote on Twitter after the match.

Muguruza next faces world number one Karolina Pliskova, who won back-to-back matches on Friday.

The Czech first defeated Italian qualifier Camila Giorgi 6-3 4-6 6-0 in a match postponed by a day because of rain.

The top seed then took another step toward successfully defending her title by overpowering former world number one Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 6-4 in her second match.

Pliskova had 27 winners to Wozniacki's eight with only 13 unforced errors compared to the sixth-seeded Dane's 19.

Second seed Simona Halep also beat Britain's Johanna Konta for the first time in an exciting back and forth 6-4 7-6(1) victory.

Halep capitalised on a service break in the first set and then raced out to a 4-1 lead in the second before Konta fought back to send it into a tie-break.

The Romanian, however, dominated the tie-break to set up a semi-final match against American Sloane Stephens.

The American continued her strong form following her return at Wimbledon after an 11-month absence with a foot injury by defeating Germany's Julia Goerges 6-1 7-6(3).

Stephens had earlier beaten Russia's Ekaterina Makarova 2-6 6-3 6-4.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll; ediitng by Ken Ferris)

source: news.abs-cbn.com