Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and Russian Daniil Medvedev they did not fail this thursday against Croatian Marin Cilic and Canadian Denis Shapovalov, respectively, and qualified for the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Masters 1000, on a day marked by the elimination, in the women’s circuit, of the Polish Iga Swiatek, world number 1.
Alcaraz, world number 4, and Medvedev, number 1, could only meet in the final of this tournamentin which the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, fourth seed, and the Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime, winner against the Italian Jannik Sinner, are still in play.
Alcaraz remains alone in Cincinnati
After the elimination of Rafa Nadal last Wednesday and that of Roberto Bautista, beaten this Thursday by the Croatian Borna Coric, Alcaraz is the only Spaniard still competing in Cincinnati.
The Murcian didn’t shake his arm and beat world No. 17 Cilic 7-6(4) 6-1 to keep fighting for what would be his third Masters 1000 of the season.
Alcaraz, world number 4, has become Cincinnati’s youngest quarter-finalist of the Briton Andy Murray (2006) and will face in the next round the also Briton Cameron Norrie, executioner of the young Ben Shelton.
Medvedev tames Shapovalov
Medvedev also advanced, that won this Thursday by a 7-5 double against Canadian Denis Shapovalov (n.21) and was cited in the quarters with the American Taylor Fritz, eleventh favorite.
Medvedev, who is sure to arrive as the first seed at the United States Open after the defeat of the Spaniard Rafa Nadal, he will play his second quarter-final of the year in a Masters 1000 after those of Miami, during his fall against the Pole Hubert Hurkacz.
Tsitsipas doesn’t give Schwartzman an option
Also, Stefanos Tsitsipas, number 7 in the ATP rankingdid not leave the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman an option on Thursday and eliminated him in the round of 16.
Tsitsipas, champion this year in Montecarlo and Mallorca, revalidated the victory he had won this year in the Principality of Monaco en route to the title and knocked down Schwartzman for the first time on fast surfaces, winning a 6-3 brace.
He will face this Friday the American John Isner, who beat his compatriot Sebastian Korda and, at 37, became Cincinnati’s oldest quarterfinalist of the “Open” era1968.
This record previously belonged to the Swiss Roger Federer.
Keys dismantles Swiatek
Among the women, the surprise came from the American Madison Keys, who he knocked out Iga Swiatek 6-3, 6-4.
Keys, champion of this tournament in 2019, overthrew a Swiatek who with her victory on Wednesday against the American Sloane Stephens he had crossed the bar of fifty victories this season.
She will face Kazakh Elena Rybakina in the next round. champion this year at Wimbledonwho beat American Alison Riske 6-2, 6-4.
Pegula knocks out US Open champion
Still in the women’s box, the American Jessica Pegula, world number 8, knocked out Britain’s Emma Raducanu, number 13 and current US Open champion, to advance to the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati tournament.
Pegula has 34 wins in the WTA 1000 since 2021 and can match Iga Swiatek’s 36 wins. In addition, Czech Petra Kvitova overthrew Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, world number 5, beating her hard 6-1, 4-6 and 6-0.
Kvitova, world number 28, will face Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the quarterfinals.
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