The Spaniard dominated in five sets (6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3) Marin Cilic to join Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals.
Fourth player in the world, Carlos Alcaraz qualified for the second time in his very young career in the quarter-finals of the US Open. Last year, for his first participation, he revealed himself by reaching the quarters after notably dismissing the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in an anthology match. This year, he confirmed and enforced his new status against Cilic, whom he dominated after the suspense and the New York night (6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3) in nearly four hours of play. Alcaraz will challenge Jannik Sinner in the next round for a next-gen clash.
Fast in his first three rounds, Alcaraz suffered against the experienced Croatian, who was trying to reach this stage for the fifth time at Flushing Meadows. But the winner of the 2014 edition, semi-finalist at Roland-Garros this year, was too inconsistent. More aggressive (45 winning shots against 28), he also committed many more faults (66 against 41, including 13 double faults) than the indefatigable Alcaraz.
Led from the start 2-0, the Spaniard chained four consecutive games and concluded the first act in 50 minutes 6-4. But the Croatian reacted by breaking in the fourth game of the second set and holding on to his serve to equalize at one set everywhere (3-6). In the third set, the winner of the 2014 edition and the Spanish prodigy held their serve and it was Cilic who cracked first in the ninth game. And the player from Murcia was able to conclude to turn in the lead two sets at a. Alcaraz was not able to be sufficiently realistic in the fourth act, where he wasted seven break points, unlike Cilic who only needed one to steal the opposing serve in turn in the ninth game of the 4th round and conclude on his service to equalize in two sets everywhere (6-4).
But in the final set, the Spaniard got the better of the Croatian giant. Very quickly broken, he still picked up and passed in front, as in the first set. Cilic really showing the blow by conceding his face-off twice. The Spaniard, solid on his serve, ended the match with a shutout. If he reaches the final, the winner of the Miami and Madrid Masters 1000 will become world number one… One certainty: With Cilic’s defeat against Alcaraz and Nadal’s against Tiafoe, there will be a new winner on Sunday of the Grand Slam.