Carlos Alcaraz fended off a match point en route to a 2-6 7-6(4) 6-3 win over Hubert Hurkacz on Saturday to reach the Cincinnati Open final, where he will meet Novak Djokovic in a rematch of last month’s riveting Wimbledon final.
The Spanish world number one has lived dangerously since capturing his second Grand Slam title at the All-England Club, needing three sets in all his matches in Ohio, including his quarter-final win over qualifier Max Purcell.
A perfectly executed volley on his first match point delivered Alcaraz into his eighth final of the year and despite spending more than 10 hours on the court this week, he said he feels fresh.
“People think that I going to be tired in the final, but I feel good,” he told reporters. “It doesn’t matter if I play a third set, long matches, I’m recovering really, really well with my physio, with my team. I feel like I’m going to play the first match of the tournament. I feel great.”
