Djokovic joins Alcaraz in Cincinnati semi-finals

Second seed hammers Fritz 6-0, 6-4; top seed rallies past Purcell 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

CINCINNATI:

Novak Djokovic crushed Taylor Fritz while Carlos Alcaraz had to push hard to get past Max Purcell Friday as the top two seeds reached the semi-finals at the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Open.

Tournament number two Djokovic showed no mercy against Fritz, hammering the top American 6-0, 6-4 to improve to 7-0 against him.

World number one Alcaraz rallied to hold off Australian qualifier Purcell 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

After pocketing the opening set against Fritz in a mere 21 minutes, two-time tournament winner Djokovic was broken to start the second set as a backhand landed long.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion regained the break in the eighth game when Fritz drove a forehand into the net. Djokovic broke again two games later, securing the match on his first match point after just 62 minutes.

"I managed to get out of the blocks with a flawless start," the Serb star said. "I started the second set poorly, handing him the break.

"But from 2-4 down I played four solid games, overall it was a great performance. I've played three good matches here so far, every day I raise the bar a bit higher.

"I'm feeling better on court. I hope the same trajectory can continue," added Djokovic, who next faces German Alexander Zverev.

Zverev, the 2021 Cincy champion, beat France's Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-3 to reach his first Masters semi-final since Rome last year – before a horror ankle injury in Paris ended his 2022 campaign.

Alcaraz, meanwhile, was caught off-guard by 70th-ranked Purcell, dropping the first set in 44 minutes.

Alcaraz steadied the ship to force a third, struggling through an exchange of service breaks before breaking for a 5-4 lead and serving out the victory.

The reigning Wimbledon champion, chasing a seventh title of the season, polished off the win in two and a quarter hours with an ace among his 29 winners.

"It was really tough and tricky today, he serves really well," Alcaraz said. "He played well at the net. I returned well, that was the key to the win."