Carlos Alcaraz to face Jannik Sinner in Indian Wells semi-finals | Tennis News

INDIAN WELLS: seeded Carlos Alcaraz edged Félix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday to book a semi-final meeting with Jannik Sinner at the WTA and ATP Masters 1000 in Indian Wells.
Alcaraz picked up his first win over the 10th-ranked Canadian in four career encounters to keep his bid to regain world number one status on track.
“I probably played one of my best games this season, so I’m really happy.” Alcaraz said.

italy Fisherman reached the last four with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over the defending champion Taylor Fritz and now has a chance to avenge his loss to Alcaraz in a quarter-final thriller at the US Open last year.
This five-set battle lasted five hours and 15 minutes, its end at 2:50 a.m. being the last in US Open history. Alcaraz would go on to lift the trophy and become the youngest world number one in the history of the ATP rankings.

“I’m really happy to play against him again,” Alcaraz said of facing Sinner. “Great battles.”
Alcaraz slipped behind Novak Djokovic in the standings, but after injury delayed his start to the 2023 season in February, the 19-year-old Spaniard won a title in Buenos Aires and reached the final in Rio de Janeiro.
Alcaraz didn’t drop a set reaching the quarters, but Auger-Aliassime was the first top-10 player he faced this year.

This time Alcaraz was ready for him, saying his earlier defeats to Auger-Aliassime had taught him to ‘stay there’.
“The previous matches, in the Davis Cup, it was tight, I had my chances,” said Alcaraz, who last fell to the Canadian in Basel in October.

“In Basel, I remember that I gave up a bit. Today my goal was to stay there. I knew I was going to have my chances, (I) tried to take them.”
The two-hour clash was a thrilling display of athleticism and shooting from both players.

Alcaraz saved the first break point he faced as he served the first set, but after breaking to open second Auger-Aliassime – who saved six match points in a fourth-round win over Tommy Paul – quickly backtracked to set the tone for a tense back-and-forth battle.
Auger-Aliassime had already saved two break points in the 10th game when Alcaraz offered another with a winning volley.

The seven-minute match ended with Auger-Aliassime sending a backhand wide and serving it convincingly, ending the match with another forehand winner.
“He’s got a big serve, a really big first serve,” said Alcaraz, who had never broken Auger-Aliassime’s serve before. “I tried to attack the second serve, I tried to dominate the point, I tried to play from the baseline – I tried to be aggressive and take the opportunity when he serves the second serve.”