Alcaraz Drops a Set but Defeats Dzumhur in Cincinnati

Carlos Alcaraz and Damir Dzumhur faced off this Sunday in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters 1000, several months after their thrilling duel at Roland-Garros.

The Bosnian, ranked 56th in the world, had managed to trouble Alcaraz on the Parisian clay, taking a set and even leading by a break in the fourth set. On American hard courts, the battle proved tougher than expected once again for the world No. 2.

Starting strong with a dominant 6-1 first set in just 28 minutes, Alcaraz faltered in the second set, committing 16 unforced errors that allowed Dzumhur to take it 6-2.

At 2-1 in the third set, the Spaniard tightened his game with a few signature shots. After securing the break, he gave himself a brief scare by dropping his service game at 4-2. Dzumhur returned the favor in the next game with a double fault.

Alcaraz held his nerve to close out the match on his serve, winning 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 in 1 hour and 41 minutes.

As often happens in early rounds, the El Palmar native alternated between brilliance and inconsistency (21 winners to 44 unforced errors), but he did enough to avoid another premature exit in Cincinnati.

He will face either Tallon Griekspoor or Hamad Medjedovic in the next round.