How Did Alcaraz Achieve His 50th Win Against Medjedovic in Cincinnati?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Carlos Alcaraz claimed his 50th win of the season.
- He recorded his 13th consecutive Masters 1000 victory.
- Alcaraz converted three out of seven break points.
- He will next face Luca Nardi in Cincinnati.
- Alcaraz has a 1,500-point lead over Jannik Sinner in the ATP rankings.
Cincinnati, Aug 13 (NationPress) Carlos Alcaraz smoothly defeated Hamad Medjedovic with a score of 6-4, 6-4 in challenging conditions at the Cincinnati Open, marking his 50th victory of the season.
Amidst the sweltering Ohio heat, Alcaraz maintained his composure, achieving his 13th consecutive Masters 1000 win and advancing to the fourth round of this prestigious ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
The initial part of the match was fiercely contested, but the momentum shifted decisively towards the Spaniard when Medjedovic served at 3-3. Despite saving three break points, Medjedovic faltered on the fourth, committing a double fault that granted Alcaraz a crucial breakthrough.
After receiving treatment for neck discomfort at the end of the first set, Medjedovic adopted a more aggressive strategy in the second set, attempting to minimize the length of rallies in the heat. Although he managed to recover a break to level at 3-3 and outpaced Alcaraz with 25 winners compared to Alcaraz's 16 overall, this tactic proved too erratic to surpass the Spaniard.
Medjedovic's consecutive drop shots fell short, allowing Alcaraz to secure another break for 4-3, and this time, the Spaniard maintained his advantage without faltering. He wrapped up the match in 95 minutes, successfully converting three out of seven break points he encountered, as reported by ATP.
Having already secured titles in Monte-Carlo and Rome during his current Masters 1000 winning streak, Alcaraz is set to face Luca Nardi next in Cincinnati as he pursues his eighth trophy at this level.
With both players qualified for the ATP Finals, Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz will engage in a thrilling contest for the ATP Year-End No. 1 title in the upcoming months. Currently, Alcaraz possesses a 1,500-point lead over Sinner in the ATP Live Race to Turin.
In other matches, ninth seed Andrey Rublev triumphed in a marathon encounter lasting three hours and 30 minutes against 21st seed Alexei Popyrin, winning 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 and leveling their ATP Head-to-Head series at 2-2.