Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul added another intriguing chapter to their budding rivalry on Thursday at the Western & Southern Open, where the former prevailed 7-6(6), 6-7(0), 6-3 in a third-round thriller in Cincinnati.

Just seven days on from Paul’s victory against Alcaraz in the Toronto quarter-finals, the American once again proved a tough opponent for the World No. 1. Unlike in Canada, however, Alcaraz found a way past his foe in Ohio, holding his nerve in a rain-affected decider after letting slip three match points in the second set for a three-hour, 10 minute third-round triumph.

“It was a really tough match. We were playing a really close match before the rain came. But I think I did pretty well [dealing with] the wait in the gym, warming up,” said Spaniard, who spent over six hours on court to earn three-set wins against Jordan Thompson and Paul this week.

“I told everyone that I really wanted [to win], since I lost in Toronto. I came here in Cincinnati and I’m really happy with the level. I think I’m getting better and better. I’m really happy to be in the quarter-finals here.”

The skills of the 20-year-old Spaniard and Paul were tested by the blustery conditions on centre court at the ATP Masters 1000, contributing to inconsistency from both at times. It was Alcaraz who finished the stronger, however, as he expertly recovered from the disappointment of failing to win a point in the second-set tie-break to reach the quarter-finals and equal his personal-best run in Cincinnati from 2022.

Paul had fended off Alcaraz’s first three match points in a 12th game of the second set that featured nine deuces before forcing a decider, and a dramatic encounter took another twist in the third set when rain suspended play for approximately 90 minutes with Alcaraz just two games from victory when serving at 4-3, 15/15 with a break.

When play did restart, it only lasted four points before the rain returned. When the players stepped back on the court, Alcaraz soon brought up match point more than three hours after he was first on the cusp of victory, ultimately breaking Paul to seal the result.

With his win, Alcaraz levelled his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Paul at 2-2. Now 51-5 for the season, his opponent in the last eight will be qualifier Max Purcell, who earlier defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2. Alcaraz is playing for more than just his fifth Masters 1000 crown this week — he needs to reach the final in Ohio to ensure he keeps his No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on Monday.

Alcaraz is preparing for another tough match in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Purcell: “He’s playing great. He defeated a lot of great players, top players,” the World No. 1 said of the Aussie. “So I have to play my best against him. I don’t know him really well, so I have to watch some videos from his last matches and be ready for the quarter-final. It’s not going to be easy.”

Two Australians are through to their first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finals after Thursday wins at the Western & Southern Open.

Max Purcell, who qualified into his first ATP Masters 1000 singles main draw last week in Toronto, cut through the blistering form of Stan Wawrinka in a 6-4, 6-2 result. Earlier in the day, lucky loser Alexei Popyrin scored a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 victory against Emil Ruusuvuori.

The 25-year-old Purcell backed up the biggest win of his career — an upset of World No. 7 Casper Ruud on Wednesday — with another stunning result against three-time major champion Wawrinka. The Swiss played what he called the best match of his season to beat 10th seed Frances Tiafoe in the previous round, but he could not solve the chip-and-charge game of Purcell.

The Aussie qualifier saved both break points he faced and broke three times in a straightforward win to continue his charge up the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. This week he is up 23 places to No. 47, setting himself up to break into the Top 50 for the first time in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Purcell began the season at No. 220 and has won three ATP Challenger Tour titles on the year.

He will face World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz or home favourite Tommy Paul in Friday’s quarters. 

Wawrinka was bidding to become the oldest player in ATP Masters 1000 history (since 1990) to reach the quarter-finals. He was also seeking his fifth Cincinnati quarter-final showing and his first since 2018.

Second chance star 👏🤩

‘Lucky Loser’ @AlexeiPopyrin99 battles to a first ever Masters 1000 quarter-final 6-2 1-6 6-3 🆚 Ruusuvuori@CincyTennis | #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/QxqYNwq1Zp

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 17, 2023

Popyrin, with his three-set win against Ruusuvuori, became the first lucky loser to reach the Cincinnati quarter-finals since Jeremy Chardy in 2012. The Aussie was a perfect three-for-three on break points in his Thursday victory.

Up 18 places this week to No. 40 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, Popyrin will next meet Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals. He began the 2023 season at No. 120 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and won his second ATP Tour title last month in Umag, beating Wawrinka in the final.

Alexei Popyrin is showing in Cincinnati he is much more than lucky. A last-minute lucky loser into the main draw of the Western & Southern Open, he has taken full advantage by reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.

Popyrin booked a house for his team ahead of the tournament. However, because of how deep he has advanced, the Australian needed to shift to a hotel.

“I booked it until the 16th and didn’t think I would be here. I’d be off to Winston-Salem,” Popyrin told ATPTour.com. “It was all going to plan until I got into the main draw as a lucky loser. I had to move the next day after my first-round match to move into a hotel. We moved in yesterday and here we are today.”

The 24-year-old is up to a career-high No. 40 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings after beginning the year No. 120. ATPTour.com caught up with Popyrin before he plays Hubert Hurkacz for a spot in the semi-finals.

Alexei Popyrin on Thursday in Cincinnati.” />
^{Popyrin meets Cincinnati Reds star Jonathan India Thursday afternoon after his win over Ruusuvuori. Photo: ATP Tour.}
If you could have dinner with any three people, who would they be and why?
Damian Lillard, Tim Cahill and I would go Roger Federer. Damian Lillard is my favourite NBA player. He is one of my idols. I look up to him. I’m a big Portland Trailblazers fan, so he’s one of my favourite players.

I really look up to him. I love his game. I love how he is on the basketball court and how he is in the community, also. He’s been unbelievable in Portland.

If you could switch places with one person in the world for a day, who would it be?
Carlos Alcaraz. It’s everybody’s dream to be at the top of the world rankings. He’s at the top and I would love to see how it feels to be up there.

If tennis wasn’t your thing, what would you be doing right now?
I’d be in sports, that’s for sure. I played football, so tennis and soccer, when I was younger. I would try and make it as a professional footballer. I had some chances to go to Europe and play for European teams, but my parents kind of told me to stick with tennis.

If there was one cool thing you’ve gotten to do from being a pro tennis player, what would you say it is?
I think it’s meeting unbelievable people. I was thinking the other day how tennis is amazing with people from so many different countries, so many different people. They come together to one venue and they kind of get along. So for me, that I think is the most important thing.

What was your pinch-me moment on the ATP Tour?
I think when I won my first title [two years ago] in Singapore, that was an unbelievable feeling for me. The work I had done to win that first title is great. And then also to win a second title means that the first title wasn’t a fluke. So for me, that was great.

If you could achieve one thing — you were talking about No. 1 — what would it be?
I think I’d want to win a Grand Slam. That’s I think is everybody’s goal in tennis — to win a Grand Slam. That would be my No. 1 goal. Then obviously I think if you win a Grand Slam you have potential to be No. 1 in the world so that can come with it.

Hubert Hurkacz ended his barren run against Top 10 opponents in style Thursday at the Western & Southern Open, where the Pole downed fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4.

Hurkacz delivered a classy all-around display to overwhelm Tsitsipas, with his serve proving a devastating weapon on the Cincinnati centre court. The World No. 20 dropped just 10 points behind his delivery across the two sets, firing 11 aces as he snapped his six-match losing streak against Top 10 opponents that had stretched back to Montreal in 2022.

“I’m really pleased with the way I played, with the way I tried to use the conditions, because it was really tricky,” said Hurkacz, who had also not reached a Masters 1000 quarter-final since Montreal last year. “It was super windy, and the ball was definitely moving a lot. I’m really pleased with this victory because it has been a long time without a quarter-final in a Masters event. I’m happy with the victory and happy with the work with all my team.”

Hurkacz survived a break point to hold in the opening game of the match and then immediately broke for 2-0 to take control early in his 10th Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Tsitsipas. The 26-year-old Hurkacz, who lifted a Masters 1000 title in Miami in 2021, fended off another two break points in the seventh game but was untroubled behind serve thereafter. He completed a 65-minute triumph, just his third at tour-level against the Greek, to improve to 30-17 for the season.

Hurkacz’s quarter-final opponent in Cincinnati will be lucky loser Alexei Popyrin. The Australian earlier defeated Emil Ruusuvuori 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 to reach his maiden Masters 1000 quarter-final on his Cincinnati debut.

“Alexei’s game is really strong, way higher than he is in the rankings, as he is showing this week,” said Hurkacz, who leads the World No. 58 Popyrin 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “He’s playing some great tennis, he’s a big server and a great competitor. Everyone wants to win a match so it’s going to be a battle and I will try my best.”

Alexander Zverev earned his first Top 10 win of the season and snapped a four-match losing streak against Daniil Medvedev on Thursday when he moved past his long-running rival to reach the quarter-finals at the Western & Southern Open.

In windy conditions, the German found consistency in the key moments and showed great desire. He saved both break points he faced at 4-4, before he broke Medvedev’s serve in the next game to defeat the World No. 3 Medvedev 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 in two hours and 34 minutes. Zverev has now won his past eight matches in Cincinnati, having triumphed at the hard-court tournament in his previous appearance in 2021.

“It was very difficult conditions against a very difficult opponent,” Zverev said. “He gives you nothing and you have to win the match yourself and that is what I did today and I am pleased with that.

“I tried to be patient and you just have to take your chances, your opportunities. You are not going to get many because we were both serving quite well. I lost three very tight matches earlier this year, so I am pleased to have finally won one today.”

The 16th seed lost his three previous 2023 meetings against the World No. 3 in Indian Wells, Monte-Carlo and Miami. However, the 26-year-old would not be denied again, striking 36 winners to improve to 7-9 their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Chasing his second title of the season and sixth Masters 1000 overall, Zverev will next meet Mackenzie McDonald or Adrian Mannarino. The German clinched the trophy in Hamburg earlier this year.

In windy conditions, Zverev looked to dictate. While he committed 49 errors to 25 from Medvedev, the German struck 26 more winners (36-13), with his proactive style earning him the decisive break of the match in the third set.

4 battles so far in 2023 between Zverev and Medvedev👊@AlexZverev takes this one with wave 🌊after wave 🌊 of #InAttack#TennisInsights | @atptour | @CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/9Cv82t9GkV

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) August 18, 2023

The two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion, whose previous Top 10 win came against Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros in 2022, is 10th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin as he seeks a sixth appearance at the prestigious season finale. Zverev can overtake current eighth-placed Casper Ruud (2,580 points) if he reaches the semi-finals.

The 2019 Cincinnati champion Medvedev holds a 32-5 record on hard courts in 2023. Alongside Zverev, only Novak Djokovic, Sebastian Korda, Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur have beaten Medvedev on hard this year.

Jean-Julien Rojer turns 42 years old in just more than a week, but you would not know it based on his performance. A week ago, the Dutchman claimed his 500th tour-level doubles win in Toronto and partnered Marcelo Arevalo to the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 title.

“I feel pretty good. I feel old, I’m older, turning 42 in a week. But it feels good. I try to keep fit and I’m quite disciplined with my training and my sleep, my diet, and to still be competing for these big events,” Rojer told ATPTour.com. “It makes me feel good and that’s a part that I enjoy of tennis anyway, the competition, and trying to win the biggest events that we have on Tour. So it feels nice that you can still achieve some of those goals.”

Rojer is No. 7 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings, just four spots off his career-high. It is impressive longevity for a player who earned his first tour-level victory in Davis Cup in 2001. He made the tough decision to leave his native Curacao as a junior to pursue a tennis career in Miami and has been a presence in the tennis world ever since.

“It’s been an incredible journey. From where I come from, first of all, having to leave my house when I was 12 years old to pursue tennis. Those early years, of course there were very difficult moments,” Rojer said. “Then also going to university [at UCLA] and then deciding to turn pro. But then it didn’t go so good in the singles… You’re sitting there with the ups and downs that a lot of the players around here, they know all about it. And then eventually I decided to play doubles, which kind of took off right away.

“Singles was very difficult for me. But I felt very comfortable on the doubles court and then getting to play all the biggest tournaments that you always grew up watching on TV and meeting some of the players that you watched on TV and stuff, that whole process has been pretty cool.”

Having reached a career-high No. 218 in singles in 2005, Rojer eventually made the decision to focus on doubles. On Tuesday in Cincinnati he claimed his 503rd tour-level win.

“And counting,” Rojer quipped, cracking a smile.

Which win stands out to the Dutchman the most?

“I thought one win that was pretty cool came in the semi-finals against the Bryan Brothers in 2015 in The O2 in the [Nitto ATP] Finals. Whoever won that match was going to finish the year No. 1, so quite high stakes in that match,” Rojer said. “And so that was a pretty cool win because it’s also the Bryan Brothers and they’re like the gold standard of everything doubles-wise.”

Rojer and Tecau went on to claim ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by Pepperstone honours that year. It is no secret Rojer is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. But he is certainly not crawling to the finish. The Dutchman last year partnered Arevalo to the Roland Garros trophy, becoming the oldest major men’s doubles champion in the Open Era at 40.

Jean-Julien Rojer/Marcelo Arevalo” />
^{Photo: Adam Pretty/Getty Images}
Between partnering Horia Tecau to the 2019 Basel crown and Arevalo to the 2022 Dallas trophy, Rojer did not win a title. But the Dutchman and his Salvadoran partner Arevalo have earned seven trophies over the past two seasons. They also qualified for the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

“My goals are not so long term anymore as you can imagine. My goals go week to week and it’s to the point where I try to do my best for every single match and prepare as best as I can for every single match,” Rojer said. “I have a wife and a son and another one on the way so these things take a serious toll on you and that’s what I consider real life.

“This tennis thing is beautiful and it’s our job and I love it. It’s what I chose to do and I absolutely love it, but I have other priorities, which makes it very difficult.”

Although they have not been with him since the start of the North American hard-court swing, Rojer’s family travels with him most weeks. Another tough thing for the Dutchman has been watching his longtime friends and rivals retire.

Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah are the latest to join that growing group, as they announced their upcoming retirement on Wednesday. The player with whom Rojer earned his first win at an ATP Tour event, Guillermo Coria, played his final ATP Tour match more than 15 years ago. Coria is actually younger than Rojer.

“Probably the part that I miss the most is not being around the players that decided to stop playing,” Rojer said. “But it’s been an unbelievable journey. I couldn’t ask for anything else. It’s a lot of sacrifice and hard work and stuff. But it’s been really cool.”