"No more rain" - Carlos Alcaraz makes his wish known as he signs the camera after defeating Tommy Paul in rain-delayed Cincinnati Open match
Carlos Alcaraz hoped for no more rain delays in the future after he overcame Tommy Paul in a marathon battle at the Cincinnati Open on Thursday, August 17.
Alcaraz had to work hard for a second career win against Paul as the first two sets of their third-round encounter went into tiebreaks. However, he managed to beat his opponent 7-6 (6), 6-7 (0), 6-3 after more than three hours and two rain delays.
"It was a really tough match. We were playing a really close match before the rain came. But I think I did pretty well, the wait in the gym, warming up," the Spaniard said after the win.
This was the second match-up between the two within the span of two weeks. Paul had upset Alcaraz in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open seven days ago. After getting his revenge, the World No. 1 said:
"I told everyone that I really wanted [to win], since I lost in Toronto. It’s not easy to play and stop and play and stop. You can’t do anything but be ready to play. But I'm really happy to be in the quarter-finals here."
The 20-year-old also wished there would not be any rain in his following matches as he signed the camera after his win over Paul.
"No more rain," Carlos Alcaraz wrote.
"I tried to play more aggressive" - Carlos Alcaraz after revenge win over Tommy Paul at Cincinnati Open
Carlos Alcaraz suggested he played with more aggression against Tommy Paul in Cincinnati after losing to the American at the Canadian Open last week.
"There is different conditions here than Toronto. I think here the ball bounce a lot, bounce more than in Toronto. The court is faster. But, you know, I tried different things. I tried to play more aggressive. Don't miss as much as I did in Toronto. You know, I tried to be more solid today," he said.
He opined their Cincinnati Open match could have gone either way.
"Today was, so much windy, as well, and I consider myself that I played really well at windy conditions, but it was a really, really close match that it could win to his [Paul] side, as well," Alcaraz said.
With this win, Carlos Alcaraz has leveled the head-to-head count 2-2 against Tommy Paul.
He will now look to go one step further at the Cincinnati Open after exiting in the quarterfinals last year when he faces Australia's Max Purcell for a place in the last four. He sounded cautious ahead of his last-eight battle against Purcell, who trounced Stan Wawrinka in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals.
"He [Purcell] is playing great. He defeated a lot of great players, top players. So I have to play my best against him. I don't know him really well, so I have to watch some videos from his last matches and be ready for the quarter-final. It's not going to be easy," Alcaraz said.