It mightn’t be for Carlos Alcaraz. The Murcian started losing the match and little by little he was coming back until he saw victory not far away, with a break in favor in the third set, but he ended up succumbing to a Cameron Norrie thus achieving one of the most prestigious victories of his career to get into the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 de Cincinnati by a score of 7-6 6-7 6-4 in a very even match lasting more than three hours.
The game started fine, Carlitos, putting power to the ball with his right hand and getting Norrie into trouble. The only but, his service. If he was brilliant on serve yesterday once morest Cilic, in this first set it was quite the opposite. When the heat crossed the middle of the way, he had barely gotten 20% of the first, a very poor statistic that caused him to go through some other problem. Of course, Norrie was the one who was suffering the most to get his services forward, raising up to four break points in the first games.
While Norrie was growing in the game, feeling better and better, Alcaraz walked in the other direction, going from more to less. Despite this, the set was going to be decided in the tiebreak, where something similar to the trend of the last games might be seen, an imprecise Carlitos, in front of a very connected Cameron, connecting several brilliant shots that gave him the tiebreak without suffering too. The British started hitting first.
Second set of alternatives for both
The set began with a certain air of optimism for Carlitos, with three break balls. Norrie played those points to perfection, once morest a very hasty Alcaraz at certain moments, without knowing how to play those important points very well. It ended up being saved by the Briton, who in his second service game in this set, once more faced two other break balls, also taken forward by Norrie, who left the break ball statistic at 0/9 for a Carlitos who little by little little began to leave the game.
So much so that the errors began to fall one following another and he suffered a break that would leave him with a slope too steep to go. The Murcian looked upset on the bench, while worried faces also appeared from his box, going back to what we might see in games like those of Sinner or Paul. He seemed all lost, until three new break balls made him believe once more. He had to be at the eleventh, so that Carlitos might finally break his rival’s serve.
That gave him back the faith that things might change. The game was even at this point, when the clock had already turned around twice, and we were facing another new tiebreak. In the first set, Carlitos offered his worst version in the tiebreaker. This time, it was going to be the opposite. He was more focused, except for a few points, but ended up taking the tiebreak following a huge shot, the best of the match, without a doubt, giving a cry of relief by taking the duel to a third set.
Fight at the highest level
The tables turned. Carlitos started the set with that plus of adrenaline that you have seen on the edge of the precipice and have come out unscathed. The Spanish smelled the break until he got it in the fourth game of this sleeve. It seemed that he already had the advantage that might give him the victory, but he suffered a counterbreak next, by a Norrie who continued without losing hope despite adversity. Very complete game of the British at all times, showing why he is one of the most fit tennis players on the circuit.
That gave Cameron wings, who grew once more and pressed the accelerator a bit more, and came close to breaking once more when he had a 0-40 with 4-4 on the scoreboard. Although Carlitos saved that situation, he ended up losing serve and Norrie did not hesitate to close the victory with a magnificent ace.
Great match for the Briton, who once once more showed that, despite not receiving too much attention from the press and the fans, he has been playing at a very high level for months and returns to the Masters 1000 semifinals to fight for a place in the final this Saturday before the surprise of the painting, Borna Coric. A new setback for Alcaraz, who had him close following losing the first set, and will make him arrive at the US Open with certain doubts in his head following a spectacular start to the year.
