LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Carlos Alcaraz won his 50th match of the year by defeating Jordan Thompson 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 at the Cincinnati Open.
In preparation for his championship defense at the US Open in two weeks, the world’s top player is now aiming for his seventh trophy of 2023.
Before claiming his 50th victory of the tennis season, Alcaraz overcame delays brought on by wind and rain.
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The male player who holds the top ranking in the world wasn’t at his best early on and didn’t take advantage until he broke in the 11th game to win the opening set 7-5.
The Spaniard struggled in the second set and dutifully gave it up to the Australian, who is ranked 55th in the ATP rankings, but he produced the decisive performance everyone was expecting of him in the third set to destroy Thompson and win the match 2-1 in three sets with a score of 6-3.
Alcaraz, who was playing the final match of the day, spoke with the fans throughout the delays and said, “The match was not an easy one for me because of the various delays.”
“It’s not easy to play the last match, waiting all day to start the match, and once you step on the court it rains. “It was tough, you know, [but] I got to put my best level at the end,” he said.
Alcaraz, who is awaiting his opponent for the second round, has won six trophies this year, including the Wimbledon Open, which he won after overcoming Novak Djokovic.