Big names crash out as Carlos Alcaraz admits confidence is lacking before US Open
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Carlos Alcaraz leaves the court after losing to Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals of the Toronto Masters.
PHOTO: AFP
TORONTO – It was a day of upsets in Canada on Friday, as top tennis stars found themselves losing momentum ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year – the US Open which will start on Aug 28.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz was the biggest name to crash out at the Toronto Masters. He admitted that he needs to have more confidence in his game following his surprise defeat by American Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals.
The 20-year-old Spaniard is also hoping to iron out any issues in Cincinnati this week.
He made a slow start for the third straight match and lost 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 – his first defeat since the French Open semi-finals in June. It was a blow to his preparations ahead of his US Open title defence.
“I realise that I didn’t play well, these matches,” the Wimbledon champion said, after losing to Paul for a second straight year in Canada. “All I can do now is practise to be better. I have some weeks before the US Open.
“But now I have to be focused on Cincinnati. It’s a Masters 1000. It’s a big tournament as well. Obviously, I take a lot of lessons from this tournament.
“I think I did well some things, but probably everything can be better.
“I always say you can be better in everything, even if you’ve played your best matches in your career.
“But right now, I have to improve a lot of things, getting more confidence in my game.”
Alcaraz could meet Paul again in the Cincinnati third round after slipping to 1-2 in their head-to-head-meetings; he is aware of the threat the American poses in the last warm-up tournament before the US Open.
“He’s certainly a complete player. The matches that we’ve played have been really tough ones – last year in Miami and this one,” Alcaraz said.
“He’s a really solid player. Has great talent, great shots. He’s really fast as well. So he’s one of the best players in the world right now.
“There’s no doubt about it. He’s really tough on every surface. He’s a mix of everything. It makes him really tough.”
Paul will next take on Italian Jannik Sinner for a place in the final.
Second-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia, the 2021 US Open champion, was also out, falling 7-6 (9-7), 7-5 to Australian Alex de Minaur.
Second-seeded Daniil Medvedev was also sent spinning out of the tournament.
PHOTO: REUTERS
De Minaur will make his first semi-final appearance at the Masters 1000 level against unseeded Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat American Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-2.
Medvedev had won his last seven matches in Toronto, including a title run in 2021.
But the 27-year-old was unable to get past the efficient game of world No.18 de Minaur, who had lost four of five previous meetings with Medvedev.
“I had to play my best tennis,” said de Minaur, runner-up at Los Cabos last weekend.
“It’s always a complete chess match between us, we’re both adaptable and can play many styles of tennis.”
Alex de Minaur will make his first semi-final appearance at the Masters 1000 level.
PHOTO: AFP
At the Montreal Open, misfiring world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock loss as the Belarusian fell 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-3 to Liudmila Samsonova of Russia in their rain-delayed round-of-16 clash on Friday.
Sabalenka, who arrived in Canada with a chance to claim the No. 1 spot from Iga Swiatek, showed plenty of fight in the nearly three-hour centre-court battle but won only two of 13 break points while making 11 double faults.
Samsonova, the 15th seed, went on to crush Swiss Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-4 to set up a semi-final clash against third seed Elena Rybakina, who outlasted Daria Kasatkina in a late-night marathon thriller 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (10-8). AFP, REUTERS.
