When Carlos Alcaraz finished his 7-5 4-6 6-3 win over Jordan Thompson at the Western & Southern Open, the clock struck 1 AM, and around 20% of the fans remained on the Stadium Court. It was a rather strange atmosphere for the World No. 1, affected by a rain delay and the late hours. More importantly, the match itself was strange, featuring some uncharacteristic errors from Alcaraz, and of course some fantastic shots. Alcaraz’s win gets him into the third round, where he’ll wait to play his next match on Thursday.
Carlos Alcaraz def. Jordan Thompson 7-5 4-6 6-3
The match remained on serve for the first five games, with Thompson playing some solid tennis off his serve. Alcaraz threw in some surprising forehand errors down 2-3, and Thompson took full advantage with a break of serve. Already by 2-4 in the first set, it was evident that the Spaniard was struggling to take advantage of break point opportunities. On his seventh chance of the set, Alcaraz broke back after some volley errors by the Aussie. The showboating highlights began at this point, with Alcaraz’s athleticism helping him his a fantastic passing shot.
Much of that athleticism helped Alcaraz through the first set. Thompson repeatedly used serve and volley tactics to shorten points, but Alcaraz’s fantastic hustle set up some epic points. Alcaraz hit multiple passing shots and lob winners at 5-5 to help him get the crucial break. He then saved a crucial break point to take the opener 7-5.
It seemed that Alcaraz would breeze into the second round, but his forehand crumbled in big moments. Alcaraz tried to go big on his groundstrokes, potentially full of confidence. At 1-2, Alcaraz hit a virtuosic running passing shot, but Thompson continued to serve well and stay consistent. Thompson was able to target Alcaraz’s forehand, breaking serve to lead 4-2.
Serving for the set, Thompson threw in a terrible service game to give Alcaraz a lifeline in the set. Even more surprising, Alcaraz responded with three consecutive unforced errors of himself, and the match was level at a set apiece.
The start of the third set was rather messy, with both players vying for an early lead. Perhaps dealing with some pressure, Thompson made some uncharacteristic errors to lose serve. Once Alcaraz maintained a consistent service rhythm, it never seemed in doubt that he would lose.
Towards the end, both players played some great tennis, but Alcaraz started to find an answer by counterattacking Thompson’s serve and volleying. He took a bit of pace off his groundstrokes, finding angles to set up safer shots. Alcaraz responded well after missing multiple break point opportunities at 4-2, as he closed out the match two games later. Alcaraz’s 7-5 4-6 6-3 win was ultimately his 50th win of the 2023 ATP season.
The Real Question Fans Want to Know
As Carlos Alcaraz progresses through the draw, all eyes are on a potential Novak Djokovic showdown in the final. For the first time after their epic Wimbledon final, Alcaraz and Djokovic find themselves in the same draw. Many could argue that this is the first time Djokovic is Alcaraz’s inferior. Of course, the Serb may climb back to the top of men’s tennis, especially with his mental edge. Yet, the Wimbledon final did somewhat feel like a changing of the guard.
While a US Open final between the two would be far more exciting, a Djokovic vs Alcaraz final in Cincinnati would be a potential appetizer of the US Open. Fans could really see whether Alcaraz legitimately rules the tennis world.
Both players will have to go through tough draws to get to the final, however. Carlos Alcaraz may take on Tommy Paul in a Toronto rematch in the third round, where Paul got his biggest career win with a 6-3 4-6 6-3 upset. From there, his draw gets a lot easier, with Stefanos Tsitsipas being his greatest challenge. Unfortunately for the Greek, he hasn’t gotten close to taking out Alcaraz after five meetings, other than their US Open epic in 2021.
Novak Djokovic hasn’t started his Cincinnati campaign yet, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is a tough opener. The Spaniard shocked Djokovic in the second round of the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters, a very similar tournament situation to Cincinnati. After that, Djokovic should be able to cruise to the semifinals, where he could face a stern test of Daniil Medvedev. He’s experimented with many tactics over the course of the 2023 season, such as bigger serving, loopy high backhand, and drop shots. It could be fascinating to see how he adjusts, with his biggest rival at the moment firmly in his mind.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
