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Match Details
Fixture: (1) Carlos Alcaraz vs Max Purcell
Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2023
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Cincinnati, US
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $6,600,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv
Carlos Alcaraz vs Max Purcell preview
Carlos Alcaraz will be looking to reach the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open for the first time in his career when he takes on Australia's Max Purcell.
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Having lost to Tommy Paul a week ago in Toronto, the 20-year-old finally exacted his revenge on the American as he defeated him in a 7-6(6), 6-7(0), 6-3 thriller in the Round of 16. The Spaniard was playing some resilient tennis to kick off the match, coming back from a 2-4 deficit to win the opening set in a tiebreaker.
The pair then exchanged breaks during the second set. Alcaraz was forced to save a set point down 4-5 before producing three match points on his opponent's serve at 6-5. Paul, however, saved all three of them with some gutsy play before absolutely dominating the World No. 1 in the second-set tiebreak to equal the match.
Alcaraz did not lose his focus, though, and would race to a break-lead in the deciding set before rain delayed the match for 90 minutes. After play resumed, the Spaniard held his nerve and broke once again while leading 5-3 to record a career-second quarterfinal appearance at the Cincinnati Open.
Max Purcell, meanwhile, has had an inspiring run at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament. Ranked 70th in the world, the Aussie had to qualify for the main draw by beating Alexei Popyrin and Luca Van Asche in three sets.
He only got better as the week went on, defeating much more experienced players like Stan Wawrinka, Casper Ruud and Lloyd Harris to reach the last eight in Cincinnati.
The Australian, who won the 2022 Wimbledon doubles crown, is admittedly determined to make a name for himself as a singles player in 2023.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Max Purcell head-to-head
The quarterfinal match in Cincinnati will be the first-ever career meeting between Carlos Alcaraz and Max Purcell, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Max Purcell odds
All odds are sourced from BETMGM.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Max Purcell prediction
Alcaraz played a much better match against Paul in comparison to his Cincinnati opener a few days ago. While his forehand was as blistering as ever, it was his serve that shone through as he won 72% of his first-serve points during his three-set Round of 16 outing.
The Spaniard also utilised his dropshot well. He pushed Paul behind with his heavyweight groundstrokes in baseline rallies before surprising the American with his finesse — a tactic which has become his go-to these days.
Purcell, on the other hand, possesses power on his forehand as well. However, his backhand is not nearly as stable as Alcaraz's, who can swat his two-hander both cross-court and down-the-line on a whim.
The key for the Aussie will be to display the same aggression against the World No. 1 that he has displayed over the last one week in Cincinnati. That, however, may prove to be a daunting task against the 20-year-old, who is just as good at defending from the back of the court as he is at attacking the forecourt.
Pick: Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets.
