Alcaraz edges closer to fifth title of 2022

Carlos Alcaraz edged closer to his fifth title of 2022 on Friday when he breezed past Karen Khachanov 6-0, 6-2 to reach the Hamburg clay-court semi-finals.

"I played unbelievable today, probably one of my best matches this year," said Alcaraz after firing 21 winners past his rival.

Alcaraz improved to 2-0 in the pair's head-to-head series following a straight sets win in the last 16 of the French Open.

The 19-year-old Spaniard will face Alex Molcan in Saturday's semi-final.

The Slovakian led Borna Coric 7-6 (9/7), 2-0 before the Croatian retired with an injury.

Lorenzo Musetti is poised to crack the top 50 for the first time after making the semi-finals by beating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 6-3.

Musetti, 20, next faces Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo who defeated Aslan Karatsev 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4).

Cerundolo claimed his maiden ATP title in Bastad last weekend.