Carlos Alcaraz

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ATP Miami 24: 12. ćwierćfinał M-1000.

[1] Carlos Alcaraz d. [23] Lorenzo Musetti 63 63

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[Kiefer]

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[Damian]

[Damian]

Devastating Dimitrov downs Alcaraz in Miami

Spoiler:

Bulgarian will return to Top 10 if he makes final
March 29, 2024

Grigor Dimitrov defeats top seed Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium.
By ATP Staff
Grigor Dimitrov ended Carlos Alcaraz’s chances of completing the ‘Sunshine Double’ Thursday at the Miami Open presented by Itau, where the Bulgarian ousted the top seed 6-2, 6-4 in the quarter-finals.

The 32-year-old was bold in maintaining aggression, crushing 24 winners, and producing variety to defeat the Indian Wells champion, who was riding a nine-match winning streak.

“I think overall to win against him you have to play at your best, that’s just how it is,” Dimitrov said. “I came into the match very focussed and I think [it was] extremely clear what I had to do.

"Sometimes simplicity is genius. It’s very, very hard to do it, especially when you play against an opponent like that, but I was really able to dictate the game, read the game a little bit better than last time. Overall, I think a very great match on my end and I’m just happy I finished in straight sets.”

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With celebrities such as Mike Tyson and Jimmy Butler in attendance, Dimitrov bruised the ball as he kept a tight court position and redirected the ball at ease, even striking several return winners inside the baseline. Aiming for his second Masters 1000 crown (2017 Cincinnati), Dimitrov often worked his way forward, winning 12 of his 16 net points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Dimitrov led as big as 6-2, 4-1 with a chance to go up a double break, but was forced to fight off a late charge from the two-time major champion.


The nine-time tour-level titlist earned a crucial break at 4-5 in the second set to seal the one-hour, 32-minute match and improve to 2-3 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with the World No. 2. Dimitrov, who beat the Spaniard in Shanghai last October, has now won the past two meetings.

“I was just using every opportunity I had. I think every second serve I had, I was attacking it. I was making sure I was putting him in a very difficult position,” said Dimitrov, who fended off four of five break points faced. “I had to keep on being aggressive, come to the net, move the ball around and not let him hit.”


Now into the Miami semi-finals for the first time, Dimitrov has reached the last four at eight of the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. Friday’s clash against fourth seed Alexander Zverev will mark Dimitrov’s fourth semi-final of 2024. Dimitrov boasts a 19-4 season record with his best result being a title run in Brisbane.

Up to No. 11 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, Dimitrov will return to the Top 10 for the first time since 2018 if he makes the Miami final.

The 20-year-old Alcaraz, now 15-4 on the season, was aiming to match his Miami semi-final result from last year and become the first player to reach three consecutive semis in south Florida since Novak Djokovic in 2014-16.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/alcaraz ... i-2024-qfs

[Damian]

Alcaraz: Dimitrov 'made me feel like I'm 13 years old'

Spoiler:

Carlos Alcaraz was not a young man in search of excuses Thursday night after his 6-2, 6-4 loss to Grigor Dimitrov at the Miami Open presented by Itau, his second consecutive defeat against the Bulgarian.

The World No. 2 was quick to acknowledge that he ran into Dimitrov on the wrong night as the 32-year-old snapped his nine-match winning streak after producing one of his best matches in recent years.

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“He played amazing tennis, almost perfect, if I can say ‘perfect’, said Alcaraz, who won the Miami title in 2022. “I mean, I couldn't find solutions. I couldn't find a way to make him feel uncomfortable on the court. It was a great game from his side.

“I have a lot of frustrations right now, because he made me feel like I'm 13 years old (smiling). You know, it was crazy. I was talking to my team saying that I don't know what I have to do. I don't know his weakness. I don't know anything.”



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Alcaraz said that he played better than he did in Shanghai last year when Dimitrov rallied from a set down to win 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to claim his first win in four Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with the Spaniard.

“I think I played good tennis. I mean, I left the court thinking that probably I had to change my game a little bit earlier, but anyway, I feel like I played a good tennis,” Alcaraz said. “Not perfect but a good one…

“Honestly, in Shanghai, I didn't play too well, I think I played better today than the second and third set in Shanghai.”


Alcaraz, who will drop to No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday if Jannik Sinner hoists the trophy Sunday in Miami, finishes the first quarter of the season with a 15-4 match record. Importantly, he snapped a title drought stretching back to Wimbledon last July when he won the BNP Paribas Open earlier this month.

He will now turn his focus to the clay swing, during which he is expected to battle Sinner, Novak Djokovic and possibly Daniil Medvedev for World No. 1 honours. Alcaraz is next scheduled to play at the year's third ATP Masters 1000, the Rolex Shanghai Masters, starting 8 April.

“I have to wait a few days to see everything, but there is no time to get down right now,” Alcaraz said. “The season, there are a lot of tournaments. The season has just begun.

"I have to practise. I'm 100 per cent fine the power, let's say, to continue practising well, enjoying practising and really looking forward to playing the next tournament.”

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