Carlos Alcaraz’s chase of a three-peat at India Wells continued on Thursday night because the Spaniard overcame Francisco Cerundolo and can face Jack Draper, who in flip ended the hopes of the youngest American since 2004 to achieve the occasion’s quarterfinals.
Ben Shelton, at 22, had made headlines for his run on house soil however was stopped by Draper, of the UK, who claimed a straight units 6-4 7-5 victory.
The Thirteenth-seeded Draper will face quantity two seed Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion who prolonged his successful streak at Indian Wells to 16 matches with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Cerundolo.
On one other chilly, blustery night time within the California desert, Alcaraz battled again from 1-4 down within the second set, developing with a break and two love service holds to drive the tiebreaker, and conserving his bid to hitch Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the one males to win three straight Indian Wells titles on observe.
Alcaraz needed to save break factors in every of his first three service video games. However after an emphatic maintain for 4-3 he gained the primary break of the competition with a deft volley and similar to that he was serving for the primary set.
After sliding to pop a drop volley winner over the web for set level, Alcaraz drilled a deep forehand that Cerundolo might barely get a racquet on.
But it surely was Cerundolo who broke first within the second, lastly changing his ninth break level of the match then holding for 4-1.
He couldn’t maintain off the world quantity three, nonetheless, who raced to a 5-2 lead within the tiebreaker on the best way to victory.
“It was actually tough for me to begin the match,” mentioned Alcaraz, who appeared much less comfy within the windy climate than he did only a day earlier than.
“He bought plenty of probabilities within the first set,” Alcaraz mentioned. “I’m simply happy about saving all of them and taking the one one which I had.
“I didn’t hit the ball as clear as yesterday, however I simply did what I needed to and that’s what it’s about.”
Draper took the opening set in opposition to Shelton with one break of serve then rallied from 0-3 down in a second-set slugfest.
Shelton’s 32 unforced errors included 5 double-faults – with one handy Draper a break for 6-5 within the second.
Russian Daniil Medvedev, runner-up to Alcaraz in every of the previous two years, rallied from a break down in a wild, wind-blown remaining set to beat Arthur Fils 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7).
The world quantity six booked a semifinal assembly with Denmark’s Holger Rune, a 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 winner over Tallon Griekspoor.
Medvedev, a six-time Grand Slam finalist, trailed 20-year-old Fils 2-4 within the third set of a compelling conflict that was momentarily paused as gusting winds despatched towels and garbage cans flying on Stadium Courtroom.
France’s Fils had proven admirable maturity within the face of Medvedev’s formidable defensive abilities.
He reduce down on the unforced errors that marred his first set to win the second with ease and maintained his poise as he erased an early break within the third to grab the lead.
However Medvedev wouldn’t be denied and after forcing the tiebreaker prevailed on his third match level when Fils pushed a backhand volley lengthy.
Medvedev, who had received simply one among his previous 9 third-set tiebreakers, gave a leap of sheer pleasure after securing the win in 2 hours and 25 minutes to maintain alive his bid for a primary title since 2023 – when he received 5.
“I misplaced plenty of tight matches this yr the place I might have received, ought to have received possibly,” Medvedev mentioned. “I’ve misplaced plenty of tight matches the place it goes somewhat bit 50-50 and the extra it goes like that, the extra you’ll be able to lose confidence within the tight moments.
“I used to be completely satisfied I used to be capable of recover from the road as he saved some match factors and had a break lead within the third. I’m simply completely satisfied to win.”
Medvedev faces one other younger gun in Rune, who burst onto the scene in 2022 with a win over Novak Djokovic within the Paris Masters remaining.
Rune has struggled usually since, however after dropping the primary set he dominated Griekspoor, the Forty third-ranked Dutchman who had eliminated top-seeded Alexander Zverev within the second spherical.
Madison Keys, meantime, prolonged her successful streak to 16 matches, reaching the ladies’s semifinals with a 6-1, 6-1 wipeout of wild-card entry Belinda Bencic.
The Australian Open champion wanted simply 65 minutes to carry up her finish of a rematch with top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, who beat Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-3 later.
Keys beat Sabalenka in three units in January at Melbourne Park, denying her a 3rd consecutive title.
