Carlos Alcaraz battled past Andrey Rublev in a thrilling quarter-final to secure a place in the Cincinnati Open 2025 semi-finals. The World No. 2 overcame 15 unforced errors and three double faults in the decider, winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 to reach his 12th ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.
The Spaniard has faced momentum swings throughout his campaign in Ohio. Against Rublev, he once again showed mental strength, improving his head-to-head record to 4-1. “It’s just [about] accepting the moment, accepting that I am playing a third set, accepting that it’s going to be a really tough battle, and I love that,” said Alcaraz.
Resilience in Pressure Moments
This year, Alcaraz has dropped the second set after winning the first on 10 occasions in best-of-three matches, winning nine of them. He remains on track for a potential final against top seed Jannik Sinner, who has not dropped a set yet.
“I maintained positive thoughts all the time, even though I lost focus a few times during the second set,” said Alcaraz. “Playing someone like Andrey, when you lose focus on two or three points, it [can] cost you the set or almost the match. I just stayed strong mentally and that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Key Moments in the Final Set
After breaking Rublev for 5-3 in the decider, Alcaraz roared in celebration but faltered in his next service game, opening with a double fault. Rublev fought back to 5-5, but Alcaraz held firm, extending his ATP Masters 1000 winning streak to 15 matches following titles in Monte-Carlo and Rome.
This victory ties Alcaraz with Carlos Moya for the third-most ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals by a Spanish player. He now awaits Ben Shelton or Alexander Zverev in the last four.
Rublev’s Cincinnati Campaign Ends
Rublev, the 2021 Cincinnati runner-up, played aggressively in the second set, committing just four unforced errors. However, he could not sustain the level in the decider, which was briefly halted due to a medical issue in the stands.
Despite his quarter-final run, Rublev drops four spots to No. 15 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. Alcaraz, meanwhile, leads Sinner by 1,540 points in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, both already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals.
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