Alcaraz Upsets Berrettini In Vienna Classic, Reaches SFs

#NextGenATP star Carlos Alcaraz is just 18 years old, but you would not have thought it on Friday at the Erste Bank Open, where he upset World No. 7 Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-7(2), 7-6(5) to reach the semi-finals.

The Spaniard hit 24 winners first set as he showcased his power from the baseline throughout. Alcaraz mixed his aggressive hitting with great touch to cause Berrettini problems, advancing after two hours and 40 minutes in a high-quality match.

[FOLLOW ACTION]

It is the first time Alcaraz has reached the last four at an ATP 500 event, with his victory over Berrettini the second biggest win of his career by FedEx ATP Ranking. The 18-year-old shocked World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round at the US Open in September.

Alcaraz, who is making his debut in Vienna, overcame British pair Daniel Evans and Andy Murray earlier this week. The Spaniard is aiming to win his second tour-level title, after triumphing in Umag in July.

The World No. 42 will next face second seed Alexander Zverev or Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in his fourth tour-level semi-final of the season.

In a fast start, Alcaraz quickly clicked into gear as he found his best tennis to pin Berrettini behind the baseline with his flat and accurate groundstrokes, moving ahead after 29 minutes. However, Berrettini began to dig in during the second set and raised his level in the crucial moments, saving all four break points he faced as they moved to a decider.

Alcaraz quickly regained his grip on the match in the third set as he raced 4-1 ahead, but was pegged back to 4-4 after Berrettini produced a strong return game. The pair then moved to a tie-break, in which Alcaraz raised his game and the roof to secure his victory on his third match point.

Berrettini was bidding to reach his first tour-level semi-final since Wimbledon, where he advanced to the championship match. The third seed advanced to the last four in Vienna in 2019 and booked his place at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin after his first-round victory against Australian Alexei Popyrin on Monday.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3Gym9Pk