US Open 2023: Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz books semis berth after cruising past Alexander Zverev

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has reached the last four of the US Open 2023 men’s singles draw after a resounding 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win against Olympic champion Alexander Zverev on Thursday, September 7. The clash at the Arthur Ashe stadium saw the Spaniard dominate from the start as he broke his German opponent at the decisive stage while he was struggling with injuries. Alcaraz will now face 2021 US Open championDaniil Medvedev in the semifinal on Friday.

Alcaraz makes light work of Zverev

In a high-profile clash on Wednesday (Thursday in India), Alcaraz started on the front foot as he pocketed the first set with ease. The Spanish No.1 pounced on his only break point in the first set to earn an early advantage in the contest. The German star was then seen struggling with his serve in the second set where he committed two double faults while losing his serve twice. Interestingly, Alcaraz did not present a single break point opportunity to his opponent to assert his dominance in the contest.

Before the start of the third set, Zverev took a medical timeout as he was struggling with injury concerns. After an extended break, he returned to the court and gavea tough fight to the defending Wimbledon champion. The German failed to consolidate on three break point opportunities and suffered at the decisive stage of the match yet again.

Interestingly, Alcaraz won all four break points in the contest while Zverev lost all five opportunities to break his opponent's serve. It took 2 hours and 30 minutes for Alcaraz to book his semifinal berth where he will face 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev.

What is up for grabs?

The semifinal ties are all set for a mouth-watering clash as Alcaraz bids to defend his title while 2021 champion Medvedev looks to reclaim his throne. The clash will be the fourth meeting between the pair, having also met at the same stage of the Wimbledon Championships earlier this year. The pair’s only hard court meeting came at the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells earlier this year when Alcaraz was again at the top. Medvedev’s only win against Alcaraz came at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.

The winner of the semifinal contest will face the winner of the three-time champion Novak Djokovic and Ben Shelton clash in Sunday’s summit match at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

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