By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Picture credit score: Jeff Dean/Wick Images/Cincinnati Open Fb
The balls got here at Carlos Alcaraz from each conceivable route—he dealt with the onslaught with a smile and flick of his proper hand.
Younger followers thrust outsized memento balls towards Alcaraz after his 6-4, 6-4 victory over Hamad Medjedovic on a sweltering afternoon on the Cincinnati Open.
It was a signature win for Alcaraz, who slashed his twelfth ace to shut his fiftieth win of the season in fashion. Alcaraz is the primary man to attain 50 match wins in 4 straight seasons since Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic did it again in 2016.
It’s Alcaraz’s thirteenth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 win and sends him right into a spherical of 16 conflict vs. Italian Luca Nardi.
Carlito’s Method 🙌
Along with his 6-4 6-4 win over Medjedovic, @carlosalcaraz is the primary ATP participant to win 50 matches in 4 successive seasons since Djokovic in 2016!#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/L4LryVI5lW
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 12, 2025
Fortunate loser Nardi led Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik 6-2, 2-1 when the Sixteenth-seeded Czech retired after 42 minutes of play. Alcaraz defeated the 22-year-old Nardi 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 of their lone prior assembly within the Doha spherical of 16 earlier this season.
Immediately’s match was a gathering between 22-year-old former Subsequent Gen ATP Finals champions with shared penchant for highly effective strikes and devious drop photographs.
Pushed to the gap in his 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 conquer Damir Dzumhur in his Cincinnati Open opener, Alcaraz confronted a far totally different problem in Medjedovic, who can exterminate factors with one swing off almost any strikes.
Alcaraz spent a lot of the match heading off heavy strikes from the hard-hitting Serbian and sprinting nook to nook every now and then to repel deep drives.
The primary set swung on a steamy nine-deuce, 13-minute recreation. Medjedovic saved three break factors, however indulged his penchant for the drop shot and located the online as an alternative to face a fourth break level. The Serbian spit up his third double fault of the sport as Alcaraz broke for 4-3 to finish a punishing recreation.
That recreation appeared to strengthen Alcaraz and drain Medjedovic. Alcaraz breezed by means of a maintain at 15 to again up the break for 5-3.
The reigning Roland Garros champion served out the set at 15. Medjedovic greater than doubled Alcaraz’s unforced error output—21 to 10—and paused to take a medical timeout after the opener.
Halfway by means of the second set, Alcaraz was feeling the warmth—from the cauldron-like situations and searing drives from Medjedovic’s racquet. An enormous forehand return down the road gave the Serbian break again level then Alcaraz hit his first double fault to offer again the break for 3-all.
“New match! Problem your self!” Medjedovic’s coach yelled in encouragement. However the 6’2” Serbian was too busy sucking in deep gulps of air whereas bent over on the waist leaning in opposition to the again wall in obvious exhaustion to actually soak up that encouraging message.
Within the subsequent recreation, Alcaraz got here again from 40-15 down as a weary Medjedovic tapped two drop shot makes an attempt in a row into internet and scored his second straight break for 4-3.
This time, the second-seeded Spaniard slammed by means of a robust maintain extending to 5-3.
Alcaraz sealed his fiftieth win of the 12 months, lashing his twelfth ace.
The 22-year-old Spaniard improved to 50-6 on the season as he chases his sixth title of the 12 months.
The winner of the Alcaraz-Nardi match will face both Andrey Rublev or Francisco Comesana within the quarterfinals.
The ninth-seeded Rublev ripped 18 aces and saved 5 of six break factors out-dueling 2024 Canadian Open champion Alexei Popyrin 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 in a stick three-and-a-half hour battle.
Earlier on stadium court docket, Comesana regarded out on his ft, took a size medical timeout, returned to court docket to battle off a few match factors defusing a reeling Reilly Opelka 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5.
