W&S Open notebook: Sabalenka wins top 5 matchup; Alcaraz, Djokovic advance to semis
MASON, Ohio − No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka took down No. 5 Ons Jabeur 7-5, 6-3 to advance to Saturday's semifinals Friday night. Sabalenka-Jabeur was the first top-five matchup of the 2023 Western & Southern Open, and Sabalenka's consistently dominant match as well as a slight injury picked up by Jabeur sees her through to the final four.
"I'm super happy to get this win, but at the same time I'm super sad for Ons. I really hope she'll recover fast," Sabalenka said.
Sabalenka said she could see that Jabeur was struggling with an injury and tried not to let it distract her. Getting in a rhythm with the serve was crucial to her win, she said, so distractions had to be set aside.
Having already won titles in 2023 in Madrid, the Australian Open and Adelaide, Sabalenka rides a hot-streak that matches her career-best finish at the Western & Southern Open in five appearances. Sabalenka was a semifinalist in 2022 and 2018, and now again in 2023.
Western & Southern Open: Friday's results | Live updates
More: World No. 1 Swiatek blocks out the noise to reach Western & Southern Open semis vs. Gauff
The World No. 2 will square off against Karolina Muchova in the semifinals on Saturday. Muchova, who boasts a runner-up finish at Roland Garros in 2023, won her quarterfinal match Friday due to her opponent, Marie Bouzkova, retiring from a thigh injury.
Sabalenka and Muchova met at the 2023 French Open in the semifinals. There, Muchova bested Sabalenka that is now setting up a highly anticipated semifinal match in Cincinnati.
"We had a great battle at the French Open, it was a really tough match, a really great fight," Sabalenka said. "I'm really looking forward to this match and I really hope that I'll be able to bring better tennis then (what) I brought today on the court, and I hope I'll be able to get this win back."
No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz survives scare vs. Max Purcell
After back-to-back one-sided straight-set matches on center court Friday, World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz was pushed to the brink against Australian qualifier Max Purcell, who struggled just to physically get to Cincinnati for the tournament a week ago.
More: Uber rides, border patrol, airport naps: Max Purcell's rocky road to W&S Open Round of 16
Using his strong serve, the underdog Purcell opened the match with a 6-4 first-set victory. Alcaraz recovered in the second set, taking a 3-0 lead before coasting 6-3. In the third and final set, the two battled to a 4-4 tie before Alcaraz broke Purcell's serve, then claimed the match with a 6-4 win.
Alcaraz didn't trail by a set in his previous two matches of the tournament, but each were grueling affair. He had three-hour second-round win over Jordan Thompson on Tuesday and a hard-fought 7-6 (6), 6-7 (0), 6-3 win over American Tommy Paul on Thursday that took over three hours and featured a pair of rain delays, which added another two-plus hours.
Alcaraz, who needs a run to the Western & Southern Open final to retain his World No. 1 ranking, will face Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals on Saturday for a spot in Sunday's championship. Hurkacz, ranked No. 20, was one of four unseeded players in the ATP main draw to reach the quarterfinals. He prevailed Friday with a 6-1, 7-6 (8) victory over Lucky Loser Alexei Popyrin after defeating reigning Western & Southern Open champion Borna Coric and 2022 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in earlier rounds. Hurkacz is now 5-5 in seven career ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinals.
Novak Djokovic advances to semis for ninth time in 12 tries
No. 2 Novak Djokovic defeated No. 9 Taylor Fritz (USA) 6-0, 6-4 to advance to the Western & Southern Open semifinals. Djokovic is now 7-0 against Fritz in their careers.
The first set was a quick, 20-minute 6-0 route by Djokovic, who displayed his dominance from the start. Fritz provided much more of a challenge after that by taking a 4-2 lead in the second set, but Djokovic won four straight games to overcome the deficit and prevail to a 6-4 victory in the second.
"I just managed to get off the blocks really, really strong; played an almost perfect, flawless first set," Djokovic said. "From 2-4 down I played really solid games in the second, just an overall great performance."
Djokovic, who will be competing in his ninth Western & Southern Open semifinal match in his last 12 appearances at the tournament, has hoisted the Rookwood Cup twice in his career (2018, 2020). He's lost in the final five times.
Facing off against Djokovic will be 16-seeded Alexander Zverev, of Germany, who defeated French opponent Adrian Mannarino earlier in the day on Friday. Djokovic leads the all-time series over Zverev 7-4; the two's most recent matchup coming in 2021. Zverev, the 26-year-old World No. 17, is one of three players in tennis history to have defeated Djokovic on hard surface, Roger Federer on grass and Rafael Nadal on clay.
That match will take place no earlier than 6 p.m. on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: W&S Open notebook: Sabalenka wins top 5 matchup; Alcaraz, Djokovic advance to semis
