"It was a very balanced match that came down to small details," Alcaraz reflects on his win against Rublev in Cincinnati
Carlos Alcaraz will advance to the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters 1000. The Spaniard had to work hard to overcome Andrey Rublev (6-3, 4-6, 7-5) but will now face Alexander Zverev for a spot in the final.
In a match that remained uncertain for long stretches, the world No. 2 managed to make the difference late in the game. The 22-year-old player discussed his hard-fought victory over the Russian in a post-match press conference.
"Today, I managed to keep positive thoughts throughout the entire match, even though I lost focus at certain moments. When you lose concentration against a player like Rublev, it can cost you the match.
When he came back in the third set, I wasn’t landing enough first serves, but I stayed strong and kept a positive mindset. That’s what I’m most proud of.
I had to accept that we were going to a decisive third set and that it would inevitably be complicated due to the playing conditions. But I love the energy of this court—the atmosphere was incredible, and I enjoy playing in stadiums like this because it makes me happy to experience these kinds of moments. It was a very balanced match that came down to small details.
Andrey (Rublev) played an amazing match, especially with his serve. In our previous matches, he had hit more second serves, so I had more time to strike the ball as well as possible.
However, today his second serve was faster than usual, and I struggled more to adjust to it," Alcaraz concluded in his post-match interview with *Punto de Break*.
Cincinnati 
