Carlos Alcaraz reaches US Open quarterfinal with late-night win against Marin Cilic
Carlos Alcaraz of Venezuela and Marin Cilic of Croatia play their match during day four at the US Open second round on day two of the 2014 US Open at Flushing Meadows New York City, USA. (Photo credit: John Weidman)
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A little late to the US Open second round, but with his second-round match against Marin Cilic already over, Carlos Alcaraz made it back in with a pair of early-round wins.
Playing with the early energy and precision of a winner, Alcaraz won on the fourth service game and on the eighth service game. He then added a seventh service game, but that was the only scoreless game.
Now he’s headed to the quarterfinals Sunday, facing Marin Cilic in one of the biggest matches of the tournament so far.
The match is set for four sets, and Alcaraz’s early-round victories put him in a good position to try and keep it close.
“I started really well today. I played a lot of service games in the first few minutes, and then I was able to recover some points,” Alcaraz said. “I think I had chances today, so I am hoping for another win.”
The first set went to a tiebreak after both players failed to convert the second game after their two first-game points were shared.
In the tiebreak, Alcaraz was able to win the fourth game and then break Cilic in the eighth game to take the set. This game looked like it would be decisive, with the Argentine winning the sixth game and breaking back in the seventh to win the game and force a tiebreak.
“That was a big difference in the game,�