Alcaraz and Djokovic stay on collision course in Cincinnati

MASON, Ohio (AP) — Top seed Carlos Alcaraz staved off an upset bid by Australian qualifier Max Purcell, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to earn a rematch with Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals.

“I didn't know him so much before the match,” Alcaraz said of Purcell. “He impressed me a lot. It was really tough for me. I'm really happy to get through.”

It was the third time this week that the Wimbledon champion needed three sets to win.

The top-ranked Alcaraz needed two tiebreaks to beat Hurkacz last week in Toronto.

“When we played in Toronto, we had a great match,” Alcaraz said. “Here in Cincinnati, the court's a little faster than Toronto. So it probably suits better to his game. We need to be at the best level to beat him.”

In the nightcap on center court, No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic beat ninth-seeded American Taylor Fritz 6-0, 6-4. Djokovic will face Alexander Zverev, the 2021 tournament champ, in the semifinals on Saturday.