Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz and reigning French Open champion Iga Swiatek both booked their places in the semifinals of the Madrid Open on Thursday with convincing victories in their respective quarterfinal matches.
Alcaraz, just 18 years old, continued his impressive run in the tournament by defeating World No. 52 and fellow Spaniard, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. The young gun displayed his immense talent, hitting 25 winners and breaking his opponent’s serve four times to claim the victory in one hour and 38 minutes.
With this win, Alcaraz became the youngest ATP Masters 1000 semifinalist in history and continued his breakthrough season, having already defeated top-10 players Stefanos Tsitsipas and David Goffin earlier this year.
In the post-match interview, Alcaraz credited his success to his hard work and dedication, saying, “I have worked a lot to be here. It is a dream come true to be in the semifinals of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament.”
Alcaraz will now face World No. 5 and tournament favorite, Alexander Zverev, in the semifinals on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Swiatek also continued her dominating form in the women’s draw, cruising past Swiss player Belinda Bencic in straight sets 6-0, 6-3. The Polish player hit 22 winners and converted five of her nine break point opportunities to seal the victory in just 68 minutes.
The victory marked Swiatek’s 10th consecutive win on clay this season, having won the WTA 500 event in Adelaide earlier this year. She has dropped just 13 games in four matches in Madrid so far, and her impressive form makes her a strong contender for the title.
In the post-match interview, Swiatek praised her opponent’s fighting spirit, saying, “I know Belinda is a great fighter, so I was expecting a tough match. I am really happy with my performance today, and I hope to continue playing like this.”
Swiatek will face Russian player Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinals on Friday.
The Madrid Open, which is considered one of the most important clay-court tournaments in the lead-up to the French Open, has seen a number of high-profile upsets this year, including the early exits of top seeds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
However, with Alcaraz and Swiatek both in dominant form, the tournament promises to provide plenty of excitement in the upcoming rounds. Tennis fans around the world will be eagerly anticipating the outcome of these exciting matchups, as the young stars continue their impressive journeys in the Madrid Open.
